Starting in June, San Marcos teachers partnered with local businesses in this year’s Teacher Externship Program. The program aims to connect teachers and businesses by bridging the gap between the industries.

To kickstart the program, teachers began by shadowing local San Marcos businesses in their day-to-day work. Business owners explained the fundamentals and inner workings, so educators had the chance to experience a “behind-the-scenes” angle.

After working side by side for weeks, San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District teachers were able to adopt a plethora of newfound insights and skills that they plan to bring back to the classroom. 

San Marcos High School Career and Technical Education Instructor Fallon Drennan said the partnerships made through the program have taught her just how valuable they really can be.

“A small connection or one conversation with somebody can help you down the road in the future,” said Drennan. “So, it’s really cool to see all of these connections coming together to help each other.”

The experiences gave teachers new ideas to bring back to their classrooms, helping students better understand how classroom skills translate to the workplace. The main goal is to ease the transition from a classroom environment to the professional world.

San Marcos High School Culinary Arts Instructor Dan Reinhard said embracing the businesses of San Marcos will offer not only a different perspective of the modern workforce demand for himself and his students.

“It’s great to know what employers are looking for,” said Reinhard. “We need to see what the businesses need from our students, so that we can help align them to the industry more.”

The externship experience also gave educators insight into the factors that shape San Marcos businesses beyond day-to-day operations.

San Market Owner Janice Hardaway said understanding the history of San Marcos is crucial to running a local business. Hardaway said that with awareness and prioritizing the community, San Marcos can keep its allure.

“A big part of our mission is to honor the history and culture of San Marcos in our products, and to promote San Marcos as best we can to the tourists who visit the store,” said Hardaway. “We talked a lot about how both history and tourism have shaped San Marcos, and how that drives our business in a lot of different ways.”

The Teacher Externship Program is made possible through a grant from Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area and is part of the Chamber’s broader efforts to strengthen connections between education and the local business community. Through initiatives like the Teacher Externship Program, Youth Leadership Program, S.T.E.A.M. Fair, and State of Workforce & Education Summit, businesses and educators can learn to grow together.

Chamber CEO and President Page Michel said participation in the program benefits all involved. 

“By enhancing connections between industries through the Teacher Externship Program, educators have a better idea of what employers are looking for, students are better prepared for their futures, and businesses can create a larger impact on the community,” said Michel.

With the induction of this program and support from the Chamber, teachers plan to help future generations succeed. 

For more information on the Teacher Externship Program, visit sanmarcostexas.com/teacher-externships/.