State Superintendent Tony Evers named nine business and industry partnerships as 2013 Business Friends of Education to recognize collaboration in educating students and providing critical career readiness skills to create a thriving workforce.
Among those receiving awards is Tomahawk Community Bank.
Tomahawk Community Bank and its staff have worked with the Tomahawk School District for nearly a decade to support financial education and career development opportunities. It is the only bank in the state to open a student-operated branch in a high school. Tomahawk Hatchet Bank operates during school hours to allow students and school staff to manage their finances and students gain hands-on experience through youth apprentices and senior school-to-work positions. Additionally, the bank provides students in business courses and FBLA with opportunities to put into practice real-world marketing, finance, business and project management skills. Tomahawk Community Bank sponsors bank field trips for elementary and high school students to promote awareness of the financial industry, banking practices, and career opportunities. It provides guest speakers for elementary level students about money, saving, and responsible spending, and provides community experts to share advice through guest speakers in the areas of personal finance practices, deciphering banking services and account selection, avoiding fraud, and understanding credit management, student loans, and financial career options. The bank provides annual scholarships to students interested in business or finance college programs. Accepting the award for Tomahawk Community Bank will be Carol Swan, Marketing Director and Executive Administrative Assistant.
The 2013 Business Friends of Education awards will be presented April 12 during the annual Wisconsin
Association for Career and Technical Education Professional Development Conference in Middleton. Following the awards breakfast, award recipients will participate in a panel discussion to showcase the partnerships they developed to integrate academic knowledge, technical and career education, and workplace learning skills.
“The partnerships that our schools and businesses develop create a community to help educate and prepare our students for the future,” Evers said. “The volunteer hours, outreach, business tours, and service to career and technical education made by these Business Friends of Education truly make a difference in students’ lives.”