Bob Driver, STMA High School Principal

The best way to describe the high school experience for students and staff revolves around the theme, "On any given day.' Every day around 1700 students, teachers and support staff enter the building. That is an impressive number when you consider that the majority of cities within our state have smaller populations. Moreover, when that many people congregate in one building, it leads to a highly dynamic and energetic environment. So, on any given day, before school, during classes, or after school, thousands of impactful interactions occur among our students, staff, parents and community members.

To broaden the scope further, St. Michael-Albertville High School has committed to reaching out to its community members to create partnerships that will help engage, prepare and successfully propel our students for, and into, their future endeavors. On any given day, students have an opportunity to network with community and field experts, and, perhaps see a glimpse into their future interests.

This fall, the school board, along with stakeholders within our schools and community came together to construct our district’s strategic road map. To achieve its mission and attain its vision, the committee created five strategic directions. One of the strategic directions focuses on increasing reciprocal community partnerships by utilizing the knowledge and experiences of community members, exposing students to real world experiences, and strengthening the connection between school and community.

From the start of the school year, we have been documenting school-wide, department by department, all of our interactions with community and/or specific field experts. Over the past three months, we have compiled an impressive list and have discovered that our students have been exposed to numerous opportunities. Below are a few of the educational opportunities and experiences our students have and will continue to encounter on any given day.

• In late October, we started our Leadership Speaker Series. Keith Nord, former Minnesota Viking and teen leadership advocate, spoke to our students and challenged them to step up and lead. Please follow the high school website for future speakers and dates.
• Our Human Anatomy classes viewed a live knee replacement surgery where the surgeon interacted with the students.
• Our business teachers invited numerous local business representatives into our school to discuss what they are looking for from their employees.
• The St. Michael-Albertville Rotary Club has created a mentorship program and meets with students monthly. They have also started a community service recognition award that honors two students every month.
• Our Culinary Arts Program was recently invited to attend a special program in Minneapolis where the students worked with well-known chefs from around the Twin Cities.
• Within Technology Education and Engineering, students have taken field trips to local manufacturers to explore the opportunities in the field of technology engineering.
• In health classes, community experts have come in to talk about the importance of nutrition and healthy living.
• Our School Resource Officer, Michael McGill, has been a valuable addition to our high school and talks to our social studies students about state statutes and legal issues.
• Our science classes are working with members of the DNR to learn more about how we can utilize our outdoor classroom.
• On a weekly basis, our guidance office invites college representatives into our building to talk with students about their college plans.

The above list is just a small sampling of the interactions and partnerships being created at STMA High School. Not listed are the many speakers that come into our classrooms each day to share their wisdom with our students. Beyond the classroom, there are many extra-curricular activities and clubs that utilize community experts as well. From music to art, business to English, we want our students to learn not only from our well-trained staff, but also from people who have specific field experience. Our overall goal is to educate each student so that he/she is on a path to success. And, by bringing in community experts, we feel that we provide students with a much higher trajectory of success for their future.