Teaching Others How To Have A Successful Community Partnership
When Palmetto Health Hospital and Richland School District One first joined forces nearly twenty years ago to aid neighboring communities, they never anticipated the relationship would serve as a model for other corporate and community-based partnerships. When the relationship first began, the hospital only worked closely with one high school to improve the physical, emotional, and academic well-being of students, parents, faculty, staff and community residents. The partnership now involves multiple schools within the county and the hospital and school district have grown to manage hundreds of volunteers. Because of their strong relationship, Palmetto Health Hospital and Richland School District One will come together to speak at the South Carolina Association for Volunteer Administration’s (SCAVA) annual conference.
Palmetto Health and Richland School District One leaders will teach a beginner’s level course about managing volunteers and involving corporations in community initiatives. Participants will receive an overview of their twenty year partnership, elements that make it successful, and an opportunity to begin planning their own partnerships. Participants will also walk away with a draft plan to develop a new volunteer program/business partnership. The draft plan will include the following: potential partners, goals, activities, timelines, and responsible persons.
This week I prepared for the upcoming presentation and learned much about corporation and community partnerships. One of the most memorable lessons I recall was about the importance of having a liaison for each organization you partner with. This is essential because once you lose a common and consistent connection with your partner, the relationship becomes non-existent. I began to really grasp this lesson because I recently began serving as a liaison for an upcoming partnership with the school district and have remained in close contact with varying individuals.
The work I performed in preparation for this presentation was really beneficial because I learned not only how to manage volunteers and involve corporations in community initiatives but I also learned how to collaborate with groups that have different goals and cultures. In addition to learning how to adjust to differing cultures to ensure the partnership stays intact, I enjoyed experiencing both the corporate community relations culture and the county school district culture. Although the two are very different, I learned to find common goals so the partnership can be successful. I look forward to applying these lessons to my future profession.
