The Exton Region Chamber of Commerce philosophy is to be “volunteer led, staff facilitated.” Because of this we are able to provide more benefits than chambers of a similar size.
Business and Education Partnership
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The mission of the Business & Education Partnership ("BEP") is to better prepare today's students for the workplace of tomorrow. The BEP manages three programs in partnership with area school districts: Get In, Get Out, and Get Real. Committee meetings are held monthly on the 4th Wednesday of the month from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM at the Exton Chamber offices.
Currenly the BEP supports the Downingtown Area East and West High Schools, the S.T.E.M. Academy and Owen J. Roberts High School.
A brief summary of the BEP's three programs:
GET IN! Helps provide students with internship opportunities so that they can explore future career choices and gain hands-on business experience.
GET OUT! Provides teachers with the opportunitiy to visit businesses and learn how to better connect the working world and the classroom as well as to provide relevent learning experiences for the studetns.
GET REAL! Creates a real business environment for the students where a real business is created and run in the classrom. Students make a business plan, erect a board of directors, and develop and sell a product. Net proceeds are donated to a local charity of the "company's" choice.
This past year's Get Real Program participants have told us about their experience. CureCo, the company this year, raised over $5,000 to benefit the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia encology unit.
"Thanks in part to many participating students, we were able to establish a sucessful business that helped to make a lot of money for kids with cancer, along with smashing the record set by last year's Get Real project."
"We have learend that in order to put together a strong business, you need to branch out and diversify your business to appeal to as many people as possible. We executed this perfectly, and due to that, we were able to make a lot of money."
"The amount of money we raised is truly amazing in my opinion because it is a lot of money and with that I feel like we're truly making a difference and helping the cause."
"All in all, this was most likely my all-time favorite 'project' because it was fun, difficult, entertaining, hands-on, etc. and I'm very pleased that I could be a part of it."
"During the journey the students all learned many valuable lifelong lessons. We all learned how to operate certain business aspects of a company. We learned how to research our market, find target buyeres, and debate the pricing of a product."
"Overall, I think it was a great experience and I would not trade it for anything else. I am glad to be a part of CureCo and this year's Get Real project!"
Thanks in part to the BEP members who make all of this possible: Susan Boardman, Brumbaugh Wealth Management Group; Wes Crane, Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union - West Chester; Marc Ernest, Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union; Vanessa Gehman, Downingtown Area School District; Preeti Gujral, Incube Resources; Marcy Hessinger, Downingtown Area School District; Stacy Martin, The Hankin Group; Joseph Mendez, Radley Run Country Club; Amanda Sundquist Esq., Unruh, Turner, Burke & Frees, P.C.; Nancy Tuttle, Tuttle Marketing Services; Christine Wick, Downingtown Area School District.