Partnerships & Volunteers

Career Days provide students with the opportunity to gain exposure to and knowledge of various career opportunities. Hosted at either a campus or partner organization site, a career day features a variety of speakers who can present to students about their field as well as the qualifications needed to achieve success in target areas.

Students come prepared to explore various career opportunities, ask pertinent questions, learn to network and ultimately leave with an understanding of what it takes to be successful in various industries.

To learn how to become a Career Day speaker, click here!

Coding Buddies support SBISD students during Hour of Code, a global movement designed to celebrate computer science. Hour of Code takes place each year during the early December Computer Science Education Week.

Through 1-hour activities organized on campuses, volunteers help nurture creativity and problem-solving skills in our students. Contact Community Relations to inquire about becoming a Coding Buddy.

Dinner with the Experts provides students an opportunity for networking and learning from a professional in an area of career interest.

Typically each “expert” is seated with high-performing 10th-12th grade students and asked to share insights about his/her career field, his/her pathway to and through post-secondary education, and recommendations for students interested in the career. A keynote speaker rounds out the evening, and the event concludes with all experts providing a panel opportunity for Q&A.

For more information on how your organization can host a Dinner (or lunch!) with the Experts, click here!

The SBISD Internship Program provides opportunities for 11^th and 12^th grade students to combine classroom instruction with paid business and industry employment experience. Internship placements are based on the student's previous electives and their post-secondary plans. Students are encouraged to observe all aspects of the company's operations to discover how what they learn in school is applied in the workplace.

To learn more about hiring an SBISD intern, contact

Tina Miller
tina.miller@springbrnachisd.com
713.251.1300

Job Shadowing experiences provide students with a real-world opportunity to shadow professionals in their work setting and to gain exposure to a particular career of interest. A 2-3 hour site visit includes a tour of the office space and time with professionals who provides insights into the sector, their job function, the academic training needed and guidance as our students make their post-secondary plans.

Lunch is often provided, but not required.

In partnership with business and educators, Junior Achievement® educates students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs.

Junior Achievement programs help prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Students put these lessons into action and learn the value of contributing to their communities.

To learn how to get involved with JA in SBISD, click here!

Our students are often in need of school supplies to help ensure they have the tools for a successful learning experience. Organizations or individuals collect supplies based on a campus’ supply list and are invited to deliver the supplies directly into the hands of student representatives on the campus. While school supply drives are most popular during the Back-to-School season, they are welcome all throughout the school year. The Spring Branch Education Foundation sponsors our annual School Supply Drive. 

Celebrate National Real Aloud Month and Dr. Seuss' birthday with us! SBISD invites partners to sponsor and provide a live-action, read-a-loud of Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat at one of our five Pre-K centers. With an SBISD provided professional backdrop and props, sponsors dress in costumes and bring Cat in the Hat  to life for our youngest learners! Sponsorship of a copy of the book for each student to take home is welcomed, but not required.

Thanks to generous community sponsors, The Dictionary Project has provided a dictionary for each SBISD 3rd grader since 2004. Program sponsors are invited to participate in an interactive, 30 minute presentation and book distribution event in early September, which teaches students how to use a dictionary and helps instill a lifelong love of learning.

The cost to sponsor a campus is dependent on 3rd grade enrollment (usually ~$350). Learn more here!

Through a partnership with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, My Home Library invites community sponsors to give children the books they need to develop reading skills that will create a pathway to success in life. Donors may sponsor a home library of 6 books selected off a child’s “wish list” for an individual child, a classroom, a grade level or an entire campus. Participating campuses vary each year. Contact Community Relations to inquire about current opportunities.

Read SBISD's Reading Buddy program provides 2nd grade students with the one-to-one support of a trained, caring adult to enhance the academic experience of the child, with a specific focus on increasing the student’s literacy level and developing a lifelong love of reading. Learn more here!

Reading Roundup aims to inspire young minds and improve their literacy skills through read alouds using books and lesson guides selected and designed specifically for the program. Volunteers commit to reading to their selected classroom 2 times/month for the entire school year. The program is currently being piloted in 1st - 3rd grade classrooms at Spring Shadows, Thornwood and Edgewood Elementary schools. Contact abigail.walker@springbranchisd.com to inquire about volunteer needs.

The role of the Campus Improvement Team (CIT) is to serve in an advisory capacity to the campus principal. CITs are composed of students, teachers, staff and community members. They aid the principal in setting the strategic direction and goals of the campus. 

The district-wide improvement committee, known as the District Improvement Team (DIT), is composed of certified campus professionals, District-level staff, parents of students enrolled in the District, community members, and business representatives.

Defined by Texas law, the DIT advises the Superintendent in such areas as planning, staffing patterns, budgeting, staff development, curriculum, and school organization. To find out what the DIT is working on now, click here!

The J. Landon Short Mini-Grant Program provides small amounts of funding to make possible big ideas in our classrooms. Every year we seek community sponsors to fund and help implement the program. Sponsors are welcome at any level and are invited to serve as application judges, as well as make in-person surprise visits to award winning teachers with their grant funds.

Learn more here!

Community Relations oversee a number of programs and events that seek community sponsorship and support each year. These include, but are not limited to: employee Convocation, The Vanguard Fellows Teacher Cohort, Parent U, etc. 

Xtra Credit is SBISD’s employee perks program that allows local businesses to provide discounts, incentives and perks to SBISD employees. For a program fee of $500/year, SBISD communicates your offer to all SBISD employees through our employee newsletter, social media channels, intranet and employee app. Partners are given a program decal to display in your place of business so the community knows you support SBISD employees!

For more information on how to become an Xtra Credit Partner, click here!