VISION
VISION of INDUSTRY and SCHOOLS
in ONGOING NETWORKS
VISION 2008-2009
The application period for the 2008 – 2009 VISION Program is closed as of March 14, 2008.
The interest in this successful teacher/curriculum enhancement program remains high as we again had more applicants than we can effectively accommodate. Successful applicants for the 15th year of VISION have been notified of their selection for the June 9 -20, 2008 Program.
Applications for the 2009 -2010 VISION I Program will be available on this site in February 2009.
PROGRAM SUMMARY:
VISION is a 3 credit hour graduate level course. It is also an ongoing process which involves Business, Higher Education and Public Education teachers building networks and gaining experiences in order to enhance curriculum and the classroom instruction.
VISION (Vision of Industry and Schools In Ongoing Networks) is a Teacher/Curriculum Enhancement Course and Partnership initiated by the Delphi Electronics & Safety and Kokomo-Center Schools (DEKCS) Business/Education partnership and introduced to the community in 1994. VISION has grown into a unique, total community partnership between 12 businesses, the five Howard County school corporations, two Miami County and one Tipton county school corporations, as well as Indiana University-Kokomo (IU Kokomo) and Ivy Tech Community College.
VISION is designed to enhance both teaching and learning in local schools by transferring real-world “state-of-the-art” business experiences into classroom instruction. The instruction for this graduate level course is concentrated in a two-week period during a summer session in which teachers, Grades 4 through post-secondary, become actively engaged “on-site” in the latest technology functioning in business and industry. Special emphasis is given to the areas of mathematics, science and technology.
With assistance from an IU Kokomo curriculum specialist, and technical assistance from IU Kokomo and Ivy Tech educators, the teachers are required to translate their business experiences into curricula for their classrooms. Curriculum development and classroom implementation are completed by the end of the Fall semester. For meeting these criteria, the teachers, known as “VISION Fellows,” earn three (3) graduate Education credits from Indiana University Kokomo at no cost to them. Participating teachers also receive a stipend of $600 in addition to the paid IU Kokomo tuition.
The VISION partnership program also is designed to develop lasting networks between teachers, key business professionals, and post-secondary educators, all of whom can then be accessed in the future for both the continued benefit of the teacher and his/her students.
VISION Fellows who have completed the program have the opportunity to return and participate in Level II VISION. In Level II, the teachers visit additional participating businesses and receive advanced instruction and assistance in curriculum development. They are again required to convert these business experiences into curricula for their classrooms. Successful completion of Level II results in 3 additional graduate Education credits from Indiana University Kokomo at no cost to them. They also receive a stipend of $600 in addition to their paid IU Kokomo tuition. With the completion of the 2007 program, 53 teachers have completed VISION, Level II.
In summary, VISION is designed to enhance the quality of teacher instruction and to improve students’ understanding between the relevancy of the subject matter being taught and what goes on in the real world. By doing so, the students either will become more employable as better-prepared workers for the technological businesses and industries of today and tomorrow or better prepared college students. With the conclusion of the 2007 program, 251 teachers will have earned VISION “Fellow” status.
Business organizations currently involved in VISION 2008 include:
Chrysler LLP, Delphi Electronics & Safety, Square D, Duke Energy, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. EDS, St. Joseph Hospital, Shearer Printing & Office Solutions, Howard Regional Health System, Kokomo Wastewater Treatment Plant, Solidarity Community Federal Credit Union and Kokomo Grain Company.
For More Information:
Glenn H. Grundmann
VISION Program Director
Indiana University Kokomo
2300 S. Washington, P.O. Box 9003
Kokomo, IN 46904
ggrundma@iuk.edu
Phone: (765) 455-9553
