After 12 years, several name changes, and a few organizational changes, one thing has remained constant for the Tri-Chamber Foundation: its mission.
“Working together, the educators and employers of Columbia and Montour counties will ensure that lifelong learners obtain the academic, technical, and employability skills necessary to be successful in the 21st Century workplace.” That is the mission statement of the Tri-Chamber Foundation. At the conclusion of its recent strategic planning process, the organization decided to stay focused on preparing students in grades K-12 for workplace success and to therefore help establish a strong local workforce to help our area business and industry thrive.
Through reviewing current beliefs, programs, practices, and examining the organizational structure, the Tri-Chamber Foundation decided to make a few changes. Most noticeable is the name change. In 1996, the Columbia-Montour Area Business & Education Partnership was created through the school-to-work initiative. As federal funding dissipated, the group saw value in maintaining the organization, and therefore in 2000, the Tri-Chamber Foundation was created as the 501 (c) (3) entity for the business and education partnership. The Tri-Chamber Foundation board of directors is comprised of members of the Berwick Area Chamber of Commerce, the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce, and school administrators from Columbia and Montour counties. And now, rather than going by the “Columbia-Montour Area Business & Education Partnership of the Tri-Chamber Foundation,” the organization is simply referred to as the “Tri-Chamber Foundation.”
A program committee is responsible for evaluating current programs and making changes as necessary, and for introducing new program ideas to the Tri-Chamber Foundation. Members of the program committee are further divided into several subcommittees, which are responsible for the coordination of specific programs, which are School Counts!, Student in the Workplace Week, Educator in the Workplace, Classroom in the Mall, and Classroom in the Hospital. Another committee has recently been created to further the organization’s efforts in the areas of marketing and communications. Both the Program Committee of the Tri-Chamber Foundation and the Marketing/Communications Committee of the Tri-Chamber Foundation are composed of local representatives from business & industry and education.
As the organization continually adapts to the changing needs of business & industry and the educational world, it has never lost sight of the reason it was established 12 years ago. The Tri-Chamber Foundation will continue to strengthen the bridge between business & industry and education for years to come.
Bloomsburg Area School District Superintendent Joe Kelly, who chairs the
Tri-Chamber Foundation board, welcomed business and education representatives
to the Foundation's annual full membership breakfast. The meeting was held
on 15 May 2008 at Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School.
“Working together, the educators and employers of Columbia and Montour counties will ensure that lifelong learners obtain the academic, technical, and employability skills necessary to be successful in the 21st Century workplace.”
- Develop an effective communications plan.
- Share resources with business and education partners.
- Provide work-based contextual learning experiences for all students.
- Develop business/education certification.
- Develop programs aimed at increasing academic achievements and decreasing dropout rates.
- Develop a comprehensive career awareness and development program.