The Need
Over the course of the past five years, our entire community has endured the profound impact of both Hurricane Michael and the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic. It goes without saying these trying times have taken a toll, particularly on the well-being of our students, teachers, and support staff within the school district. Inadequate funding causes a lack of resources teachers need in order to provide a quality level of education. Overcrowded classrooms make it difficult for teachers to provide individualized attention to their students. Students feel pressured to perform well causing them to struggle academically. Home-life issues students face hinder their ability to focus on learning. All these reasons, and many more, are why the Leadership Bay Class of 2022-2023 felt a need to dedicate their class project to help alleviate some of these issues. The result, Partnership Bay.
What is Partnership Bay
Partnership Bay will serve as a connection between the Bay County business community and Bay District Schools in need of help. Between the day-to-day operations of school and ensuring that students have access to supplies, adequate food, clothing, and overall mental health leaves little time for teachers and administrators to look for business partners to assist in filling in the gaps to help students succeed. This is where Partnership Bay comes in. Direct contacts from the business community are given to the school, so they may reach out when needed and the business is given direct contact with a school they choose to adopt. This allows schools, the business community, and teachers to take advantage of readily available resources to build a better Bay!
How to get Involved
If you are interested in adopting a school and becoming involved with Partnership Bay, please click here.
For more information on how your business can become part of Partnership Bay or to apply for Leadership Bay, contact Elizabeth Smith at the Bay County Chamber of Commerce at [email protected] or 850-785-5206.
About Leadership Bay
Leadership Bay is a nine-month program of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce with the purpose of offering potential leaders a curriculum in community leadership training. The class is composed of a diverse group of individuals throughout the community that will have the opportunity to exchange ideas with other emerging leaders. The goal of Leadership Bay is to identify and prepare Bay County residents to assume the demand for leadership roles in their community. The class meets for bi-weekly sessions with different topics of interest at each session. At the conclusion of the course, they must complete a project that benefits the business community.