What Is Required To Become An Adopter?

Adopt-A-School is the commitment of time, energy, and expertise of a business or organization to an individual school. While the overall objectives of each partnership are flexible, a truly valuable partnership, like a friendship, does not happen through a single encounter. It must grow out of outstanding and mutual trust created through a climate of active involvement and interaction between the school and its adopter.
Therefore certain minimum standards are necessary to promote quality in existing partnerships.

The following criteria are minimum standards for any business or organization serving as an adopter to a school:

• Effective 1995, new adopters must be Chamber of Commerce members with membership being maintained throughout the partnership, unless approved by the Chamber's Adopt-A-School Steering Committee. The addition of a new adopter must be agreeable to the school's principal and to any existing adopter(s) currently involved in that partnership.
• The adopter will appoint a coordinator and a planning committee each year to meet with the school on a regular basis during the year to plan and implement partnership programs and projects.
• The adopter and school will interact on a regular basis during the school year; monthly interaction is suggested. This should include a minimum of two face-to-face planning meetings that will address the educational needs of students.
• The adopter will submit an Annual Plan and an End-of-year Report to the program director by the program deadlines.
• The adopter will send a representative to the annual kickoff Adopt-A-School Breakfast and to at least one district-wide coordinator meeting per school year.