The education committee of the Dallas Northeast Chamber of Commerce wants to connect business people with students in the Dallas and Richardson school districts.
Headed by Chairman Ron Burch, the committee is recruiting volunteers for a speaker’s bureau designed to introduce a professional perspective to classrooms.
A veteran of the Dallas real estate market, Burch has been a volunteer speaker at schools for two years. His specialty is mathematics and its connection to real estate.
"Sometimes it’s hard to make the students understand how what they’re learning will relate to the business world," Burch says. "Sometimes if they can see a business professional explain why certain topics are important, it will help them to learn."
The speaker’s bureau is expected to start putting volunteers in classrooms in January. Burch and Jane Didear, DISD communications specialist, have been working since August to sign up individuals from the vast pool of Dallas-area professionals.
Once the initial recruitment process comes to a close in December, the committee and school districts will compile a list of participants and send packets of information on each speaker to neighborhood school principals. Speakers will cover a range of topics from their role in the business world to personal experiences and hobbies, Didear says.
"There are so many areas of expertise in the area that this program will be beneficial not only to the students, but also to the teachers," she says. “The teachers will now have a resource they can tap to help them help the students understand their lessons."
East Dallas resident Lynda Ender, one of the 15 local business people enrolled in the program, has agreed to speak to students about state government.
As the regional coordinator for Senator David Cain in Dallas, she enjoys sharing her job experiences.
"We all have lots of knowledge that can enrich the learning experience," she says. "And I am glad I have the opportunity to lend the knowledge I have to people who can really be benefited by it."
Applications and guidelines are available through the chamber office, 718 N. Buckner, St. 332. Or, for further information, contact Burch at 214-828-4300.
