High Schools as Partners in Ending Hunger: Part One
March 28, 2014
Recommendations for successful collaborations involving high schools include:
1. Design collaborations so that they further the top priorities of each partner.
A successful collaboration makes the academic work of students more relevant, raises the profile of
local nonprofits, and demonstrates local businesses’ commitments to corporate citizenship.
Clay-Central-Everly students demonstrated sensitivity to the priorities of businesses and nonprofits by
involving ISU Extension and Outreach, the Clay County Cattlemen, the local food pantry, and the
CC/E FFA chapter as workshop leaders, and by partnering with Elanco’s existing #Feedthe9 initiative.
Boone high school students worked closely with Outreach, Inc., as a nonprofit partner, and their
decision to mentor eighth grade students supported the middle school’s service-learning and
citizenship curriculum.
2. Identify teachers and nonprofit leaders who have facilitated successful collaborations in the past
and learn from their successes and failures.
Clay-Central-Everly’s Hunger Summit was inspired by the students’ experiences at the national FFA
conference last October, and they were able to learn from FFA’s network as they planned their event.
Boone’s Hunger Banquet was successful in large part because the high school organizer was able to
work closely with staff at Outreach, Inc., and because the talented and gifted teacher worked with
district administrators early on to secure approval.
3. Apply for outside funding when necessary and possible.
There are pools of funding dedicated to service-learning efforts. Organizers at Clay-Central-Everly
received a “Be the Seed” mini-grant through a partnership between DuPont Pioneer and the Iowa
Food and Family Project.
4. Start small and keep investments and expectations manageable.
Area grocers were reluctant to donate food for the Boone Hunger Banquet because it was the first
time one had been organized by students in Boone. Rather than becoming discouraged, the students
were able to cover the cost of food out of the money they raised through their fundraiser. After
demonstrating the success of the event this year, they are optimistic that businesses will be
supportive next year.
Please contact Ms. Betsy Schoelerman at [email protected] for more information
about the initiative in Clay-Central-Everly or Ms. Jackie Matt ([email protected]) and Mr.
Matt Hamilton ([email protected]) for more information about the initiative in Boone.
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