The Business-Education Partnership (B-EP) provides a variety of programs and services to foster and promote its mission and its goals and objectives.

Mission: Our community is committed to ensuring excellence in education through a comprehensive Business-Education Partnership. Students will be provided with a wide variety of programs and opportunities to empower them with skills, competencies, and values that would lead to lifelong learning and success in the workplace.

Vision: Our community supports schools, which produce skilled and literate students who are prepared to be productive members of the workforce and society.

Goals: Our students will develop desirable skills, attitudes, and behaviors by the time they leave school to ensure future career and workplace success.

Objective:

• To improve students' academic skills, behaviors, and attitudes
• To improve the quality of the workforce
• To assist schools in providing incentives, support and motivation for students

Described below are just some of the more important programs.

• Mini-Grant Program - Each school year, the B-EP invites all East Hawaii schools and teachers to apply for grants to fund career education and entrepreneurship projects. The B-EP budgets $4000.00 for these grants. Each grant is limited to $500.00.
• Quarterly Incentive Awards Program - All students enrolled in the B-EP program are eligible to participate in this program. The intent of the program is to promote desired work ethic, desired attitudes, and behaviors by the time they leave school to insure future career and workplace success. The students are recognized and rewarded if in a school quarter, they were able to achieve specific criteria.
• Speakers' Bureau - Schools welcome business and community leaders to their classrooms to talk about their careers fields and to reinforce the characteristics that are valued in the workplace. Students who qualify receive incentive awards by the guest speakers.
• Capacity-building Seminars and Workshops - The above programs will continue with emphasis on collaboration and partnership with other community resources. B-EP coordinators at the schools will continuously monitor the new student criteria for B-EP students. Membership growth of business partners and assessment of employer needs is ongoing.

If you wish to involve yourselves in our programs, we welcome your participation. Please contact Irene Nagao at 934-0342 or e-mail at: irene.nagao@verizon.net.