Staff Support - Michelle Morris
Meeting Time-4th Wednesday of Every Month at 5 p.m.

Mission Statement:
Develop relationships between the education and business communities by promoting educational excellence.

The goal of the Family Friendly Business program is to increase parental and employee involvement in the education of area youth. The business strategies to achieve this goal recognize:

• the role education has in the economic development of the Seguin community;
• students without parental support are at a greater risk of not completing their high school education;
• due to the growing number of both parents employed, the need for business support to help employees in balancing work and family;
• and a business which is family friendly has a positive impact on the business  itself, families, and the community.

Friendly Business program incorporates a recognition plan for businesses, not a contractual agreement.  Businesses that are members of the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce are eligible to apply for Family Friendly Business recognition by the chamber.  The chamber will recognize businesses as a whole who participate in the program.  The model has a rating component which the Education Partnership committee will use to select an outstanding Family Friendly Business to be presented at the annual banquet of the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce.  This model for success seeks to share this Family Friendly Business program with neighboring chambers for area wide impact.  Finally, the model calls for the institution at the state level of a Texas Governor's Family Friendly Awards Program.

How do you become a Family Friendly Business?

Helpful tips for the Family Friendly Business

Family Friendly Business Letter of Committment

For more information on programs and initiatives of the Education Partnership Committee, please contact the chamber office.

Program of Work

1. Promote teacher appreciation through New Educators' Welcome and Teacher of the Year Reception
   • Teacher of the Year Reception the first week of March.
   • New Educators' Welcome in August.
   • Partner with and help promote the Teacher Appreciation Week to Chamber members through Chamber web, emails, newsletters, and pamphlets.
2. Recognize volunteer efforts through the Education Service Award.
   • Review the guidelines. Proposals for amendments submitted to executive committee by July.
   • Make nominations and select a recipient for the 2004 Education Service Award in August and make the presentation at the Chamber Banquet in October.
3. Continue implementation of Family Friendly Business Program.
   • Appointment of an ad-hoc committee to investigate the possibility of reinstating the program.
   • Committee recommendations to the executive board presented by January.
4. Promote continuing education and post secondary education in the Seguin area.
   • Identify local program opportunities and promote through Chamber web, emails, newsletters, and pamphlets.
5. Provide a presence on the Chamber's Industrial Relations Committee to strengthen communications between education and the workforce.
   • Appoint a single representative responsible for keeping communications open.
   • Chamber presence to help promote the career fairs currently handled by the SBEC.
6. Disseminate information about and promote schools in the Seguin area
• Provide Scrapbooks for real estate offices.
• "Good News" emails. Identify sources responsible for making sure the good news gets reported.
• Provide web support for area business members.