Academies of Nashville Business Engagement Structure

The success of the Academies of Nashville hinges on the strong and sustained engagement of its business partners, whose contributions are integral to aligning curricula with industry standards and providing students with meaningful career-based learning opportunities.
With nearly 400 partners, this robust network ensures that MNPS students gain the skills and experience needed to thrive in the workforce. As Nashville’s economy continues to grow and evolve, it is essential that these partnerships remain dynamic and responsive to emerging industry needs. The following business engagement structure outlines how partnerships are managed and supported and sets the foundation for recommendations on strengthening and expanding these partnerships to meet the needs of both students and the broader workforce.

PENCIL

Partnership Management

Strategic relationship management is facilitated by the PENCIL team who:

  • Track partnership activities and investments;
  • Recruit, onboard, and orient partners for all Metro Schools; &
  • Manage partnerships to ensure sustainability year-to-year.

Metro Nashville Public Schools

Academy Advisory Boards

Needs of individual academies are assessed by the academy advisory boards who:

  • Ensure academy curricula meets industry standards;
  • Provide career-based learning opportunities for faculty and students; &
  • Identify additional academy needs.
This information along with related academy data is presented to the Partnership Council.

Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

Partnership Council

Partnership Council evaluates needs across all academies to:

  • Ensure equitable and adequate academy resources;
  • Identify untapped resources; &
  • Review current labor market data to ensure alignment with workforce needs.

The Partnership Council is organized around five key industry clusters, with members serving under the cluster most closely aligned to their expertise:

  • Arts, Media, & Communication
  • Business, Marketing, & Information Technology
  • Engineering, Manufacturing, & Industrial Technology
  • Health & Public Service
  • Hospitality & Tourism

Partnership Council needs and successes are presented to the Steering Committee.

Alignment Nashville

Steering Committee

Support to sustain the academies model is provided by the Alignment Steering Committee which:

  • Provides ongoing progress monitoring;
  • Supports new initiatives of the academies; &
  • Responds to emerging academy needs.

Steering Committee information and resources are shared with the founding partners.

The Academies of Nashville business engagement model is built upon open dialogue and trust at all levels, ensuring that concerns, questions, or suggestions flow freely in all directions, with the best interest of MNPS students at the core of each discussion and meeting.

CTE Teachers: A Vital Component of the Academies of Nashville

The MNPS team provides fundamental support for CTE teachers, who are a key element of the Academies of Nashville. Without skilled professionals to lead these programs, students cannot fully benefit from the experiences that the Academies of Nashville schools offer.
Learn How Teachers Are Powering the Academies
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