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The BEAC can support local Ford PAS programs in a variety of ways. Though actual BEAC activities depend on the resources of the community and the specific needs of the local Ford PAS school program, a number of possible activities are suggested below.

Educational enrichment in Ford PAS classrooms

Ford PAS is designed to help students bridge the gap between academic learning and higher education, business, and the community. The BEAC enhances the classroom experience by organizing in-class Coordinated Learning Experiences (CLEs)—for example, recruiting speakers and other participants in classroom activities—and by providing resources that can be used in teaching the Ford PAS curriculum. Every Ford PAS module includes suggestions for ways that classroom visitors can contribute. The following are just a few examples:

• Answering curriculum-related questions about technical issues the students are studying
• Mentoring students through a project by providing advice and technical assistance
• Judging student projects and presentations
• Sharing higher education and workplace experiences with students through presentations or question-and-answer sessions
• Helping students hone their oral and written communication skills by conducting mock interviews and reviewing student resumes
• Speaking with students about work opportunities in the community and region

Real-world learning experiences

Many Ford PAS modules rely on observations of and interactions with the real world. For example, when students develop design projects, visits to campus science and engineering laboratories can help familiarize them with the technology used for research, design, and production. Learning experiences in the business world and on university campuses can enhance and amplify other themes students are studying in the classroom and make them better aware of the knowledge, skills, and education needed for various career paths. The BEAC can help arrange for field-based CLEs such as the following:

• Workplace visits
• Visits to university laboratories, classrooms, and departments
• Job shadowing
• Paid or unpaid internships and cooperative education work experiences
• Service-learning experiences

Introduction to higher education

Students benefit from contact with post-secondary institutions well before it is time for them to apply for college admission. In particular, BEAC higher education representatives can arrange for in-class and out-of-classroom activities, such as the following:

• Recruiting Ford PAS students for after-school, weekend, and summer enrichment programs hosted by post-secondary institutions
• Identifying faculty, staff, or graduate students to make classroom presentations about their specific areas of research and/or their higher education experiences
• Providing information about requirements for admission to and success in post-secondary education programs
• Familiarizing students with the offerings and facilities of post-secondary institutions in the area
• Helping students apply for college or university admission and financial aid
• Advising students as they develop their college application essays

Sponsorship of special programs and events
Student participation in field trips, summer programs, conferences, and competitions can enrich the Ford PAS learning experience. The BEAC can solicit support for student programs and events or sponsor them directly with the following kinds of contributions:

• Providing a bus and driver for a field trip
• Providing travel funds for national or regional competitions for students who qualify, or for career-related student events
• Providing scholarships to defray costs for students to attend summer programs at local universities
• Selling and/or purchasing advertisements in a Ford PAS “yearbook” or a program brochure for a special event

Family outreach

A strong and involved family support group is an asset to any student program. Through its family and community representatives, the BEAC can help build family support and participation by doing the following:

• Providing information to families about the program
• Assisting family members as they encourage their workplaces and community organizations to participate in Ford PAS program activities
• Recruiting family members to support classroom projects and chaperone field trips
• Organizing family participation in fundraising activities

Public relations

Effective public relations (PR) builds morale among participating students and their families, and sparks interest among potential students and families. By providing public recognition for current business and higher education partners, good PR also attracts the interest of potential partners and supporters. In short, PR helps the Ford PAS program sustain itself and grow. The BEAC can play an effective role in public relations by advocating for and publicizing the program within and outside the school in a number of ways, for example:

• Introducing Ford PAS at school events, such as assemblies and career fairs
• Organizing opportunities in the community for student exhibitions and public forums about the program
• Initiating radio and TV coverage of Ford PAS events and interviews with Ford PAS students, staff, and/or partners
• Issuing press releases to newspapers and TV and radio stations announcing program events and milestones and student achievements
• Initiating articles about the program in newsletters of businesses, government agencies, and institutions of higher education

Public relations activities should stress the benefits of the Ford PAS program to students and to business, community, and higher education partners. Topics to highlight include the following:

• Successful participation of business and higher education partners in Ford PAS classroom activities
• Successful workplace learning experiences for students, such as field trips and job shadowing
• Experiences and accomplishments of program graduates, stressing what they got out of the program, their post-secondary plans, awards and scholarships they may have earned, and contests they may have won

Planning

As with any program, long-term planning can help the Ford PAS program become sustainable. The BEAC can assist with planning in a variety of ways, for example:

• Working with program staff to set development goals
• Networking with other Ford PAS programs to share program ideas and resources
• Developing annual and multi-year budgets
• Developing plans for fundraising

Fundraising

Community foundations often offer funding for local school programs and projects. Many national and regional sources offer grants to support specific educational programs, particularly those that involve the acquisition of computer technology and the training of teachers to use technology effectively. Grants may also be available to cover program set-up costs, fund a coordinator position, buy curriculum materials, and support the professional development of Ford PAS teaching staff. Seeking grant funding can be time-consuming and highly technical. BEAC members can assist in grant acquisition in several ways, for example:

• Linking schools with local sources of contributions
• Donating time to help research grant possibilities
• Assisting in the actual writing of grants
• Writing letters of support to be included in grant applications
• Offering to provide matching funds if a grant is awarded (matching funds can help make a grant proposal more competitive)

Acquisition and use of classroom technology

Use of computer technology is an essential part of the Ford PAS classroom learning experience. BEAC members can help schools acquire and use technology in a number of ways:

• Donating new or used computer equipment, audiovisual equipment, or software to schools
• Canvassing local businesses and government departments for the availability of computers and other equipment that might be donated
• Helping to transport computer equipment to the school
• Assisting teachers and students in effectively using computer technology
• Identifying other kinds of technology available for use in the classroom
• Providing technical expertise to install technology in the school

Teacher support

• One of the best ways that Ford PAS teachers can contribute to the program is by continuing their own professional development. The BEAC can support teachers in several ways, for example:
• Helping to raise funds for teachers to attend the annual Ford PAS conference and regional workshops, or to bring Ford PAS technical assistance staff directly to the community
• Providing job shadowing and externship experiences for teachers who are preparing to teach a particular Ford PAS module
• Paying for teachers to take related courses at a local university
• Arranging for teachers to teach in a related university summer session
• Developing collaborative or mentoring relationships between teachers and university faculty

Assistance with information management

• Ensuring that all Ford PAS students have valuable real-world experiences outside the classroom can be a daunting task. There are several ways in which members of the BEAC might help the coordinator manage the connections between the classroom and the real world, for example:
• Working with the program coordinator to identify and organize a bank of possible field trip, mentoring, and internship opportunities for students
• Assisting the coordinator in setting up and maintaining databases of community resources
• Helping to track the post-secondary experiences and career paths of graduating Ford PAS students as they themselves become real-world program resources

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