WEB Page: http://www.deltapartnership.org/

The Delta Partnership (logo below) is a partnership of Arizona schools, industries/businesses, and volunteers dedicated to the enhancement of existing School-to-Work programs.

The program's goal's are: 1) Every K-14 Arizona School has industry/business as a partner, and 2) Every K-14 student is adopted by an industry/business. These satisfied goals would go a long ways towards insuring awareness on the student's part of Arizona career opportunities and employment requirements. Additionally, many students could experience work environments prior to a formal commitment. The end product would be the continual flow of qualified Arizona students for Arizona jobs!

Over the years, many individuals, industries, and businesses have individually engaged in various types of schools and student cooperative activities supporting these goals. A great deal of progress has been made. There has been and still is a need, however, to identify these activities, determine those things that "worked", inform others of their existence and encourage them to be copied and repeated. The Delta Partnership addresses this need by identifying "Best Practices" and providing a basis for their awareness and repeated application. Example "Best Practices" include "Project Pride" by TRW and "Choices" by The Boeing Company. The "Choices" program - an eight part, two hour, two day classroom experience - was offered to all MPS Public Schools (MPS) 9th graders during the 1999 - 2000 school year. The Boeing Company plans to continue Choices for all MPS 9th graders during the 2000 - 2004 school years. Additionally, Choices will be supported throughout other school districts as opportunities develop. Example: The Delta Partnership/The Boeing Company will train and assist the Sun Lakes, AZ Rotarians in their sponsorship of "Choices" for the Chandler Unified School District for the 2000 - 2001 school year.

The Boeing Company formally initiated the Delta Partnership in 1997. Five Mesa schools (two elementary, a junior and senior high school, and the CGCC - Williams), and selected MPS personnel partnered with six companies and conducted monthly coordination and awareness meetings. A variety of "Best Practices" resulted. An example: Arizona 5th graders study "flight". The Boeing Company financed, the Boeing retirees built, and CGCC - Williams provided facilities to build a full sized, motion based fight simulator. - the Model DS46. The simulator was delivered to the MPS in early September 1998 (see below).

The DS46 Motion Based Aircraft Simulator The Helicopter Trainer

The MPS has worked to have every 5th grader experience the thrill of motion-based flight since the 1998 - 1999 school year. Over 1400 students were accommodated during that year, 3000 during the 1999 - 2000 school year. Additionally, a companion Helicopter Trainer (see above) was delivered at the end of September, 1998. These simulators have been integrated into the curriculum. What great, real world additions to "text book" education!

The foregoing highlights just a few of the Delta Partnership initiatives that hopefully will be expanded throughout Arizona schools along with other "Best Practices" identified from tried and proven initiatives. The Delta Partnership, working in close coordination with the MPS Superintendents Offices, has targeted all secondary and elementary schools. To accomplish this the Delta Partnership has "recruited" additional companies/businesses, partnered with Arizona's High Technology Industry Cluster School-to-Work Partnership, and incorporated volunteers from many area associations i.e. AIA, AHS, ATMA, CAF, Rotarians, .. . Additional volunteers, industries, and businesses are required. Company sponsorship of schools is needed to insure the continuance of on-going and new mutually supportive initiatives. "Real-world" applications are required for all disciplines. Examples: "environmental", "weather", "flight", and "careers" experiences for the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th grades, and mathematics/science applications throughout the junior and senior high schools.