Classroom To Boardroom – 17 San Marcos Teachers Embark On Externships With Local Businesses

Insights learned – on the job –  will be incorporated into the teacher’s curriculum to provide students a better advantage in pursuing their future careers.

This week, the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce and San Marcos CISD in conjunction with Texas Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area kicked off the Summer Educator Externship Program. In its second year, this program has grown to 17 teachers and businesses.

Through the externship program, educators will be given an opportunity to shadow a business and its operations for 3 days, followed by a curriculum planning day with other externship participants. Insights learned – on the job –  will be incorporated into the teacher’s curriculum to provide students a better advantage in pursuing their future careers.

“These externships’ allow our educators the opportunity to spend time at a business or a work-site, providing a unique experience to learn something new outside the classroom,” says San Marcos CISD Career and Technical Education, Director Michael Doyle. “Our teachers can then bring these experiences, in a variety of fields, back to our students. We hope to teach our students that what they are learning in school – can and will – be used in many fields they may not think about.”

An externship is an experience outside the parameters of one’s own domain. This provides educators with a real-world experience to share in their academic instruction and creates an opportunity for the business and education system to grow in partnership.

The Summer Externship for Teachers Program is administered by Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA), under the Texas Workforce Commission, with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.  $74,734 was awarded to WSRCA to fund Externships for 110 teachers in DRIPPING SPRINGS ISD, GEORGETOWN ISD, ROUND ROCK ISD, AND SAN MARCOS CONSOLIDATED ISD, in partnership with their local Chamber of Commerce. San Marcos CISD and the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce will support 17 teachers and receive 15% ($11,210) of total federal award. SMCISD and the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce will match 15% ($2,800) of the 25% ($18,684) required matching funds.