WE ARE CAREER PARTNERS, INC.

Our mission is to become a recognized educational model in creating synergy between local business, government and the community.

About Us

Career Partners, Inc, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in 2000 as a result of the 1997 “Educational Summit,” organized by then, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Norma Dunwody, which brought together leaders from local business, government, school and community to address a concern that Culpeper Virginia graduates were not ready for the workplace.

Almost 20 years after inception, Career Partners has progressed as an all-volunteer organization with the same mission, and now operates seven educational programs. The key to its success is the passion and drive of its Board of Directors, school teachers, shared staff and countless volunteers. Since its inception, over 50 leaders from this community have served on the Career Partners Board, and hundreds more as volunteers.

Today, Career Partners oversees 7 educational programs:

E Squared

SPRING SEMESTER

E Squared stands for “Entrepreneurial Energy” and is Career Partners’ signature program. The semester-long competition consists of teams of high school students, paired with business coaches, and are charged with developing a new business venture. During the final weeks of the program, the teams pitch their business idea to hypothetical investors for a real life business experience. Each winning team member receives $10,000 in scholarship funds. 2018 marked a key milestone, with E Squared celebrating it’s 10th year anniversary.

Maker Energy Faire

FALL SEMESTER

This one-day community event showcases Culpeper County Public Schools IT Resource Teachers, and their amazing classroom projects. The inaugural Maker Energy Faire in 2017 was deemed a success with over 1,000 attendees from around the community, 100+ volunteers and over 40 “maker” exhibits ranging from Drones, to 3-D printers, to Legos and more. 2018 saw over 2,000 attendees with even more exhibits and hands-on learning!

STEM

FALL SEMESTER

In partnership with Culpeper Air Fest and Germanna Community College, the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) provides an amazing day of discovery and learning for all 600 Culpeper 5th graders at the Culpeper Regional Airport. Students experience firsthand how STEM concepts are used in real world applications. For more information, visit: https://culpeperairfest.com/stem/

Career Exploration

SPRING SEMESTER

Career exploration improves students’ knowledge of career options, encouraging them to develop and work toward goals during elementary, middle and high school. Our students have participated in Health Care Day and Manufacturing Day to learn about those career pathways. Local business professionals present material, lead a very informative Q & A and in some cases visit local businesses.

Mock Interviews

SPRING & FALL SEMESTERS

The Mock Interview program requires all 500 Culpeper County Public School 11th graders to create a resume, write a cover letter, apply and interview for a hypothetical job by volunteers from the business community. Interviewers critique the written material, then facilitate a 10 minute oral interview, followed by a live feedback session, all in a friendly, professional environment. Over 120 volunteers and students from both Culpeper high schools participate in this amazing program each year.

Teachers for Tomorrow

SPRING & FALL SEMESTERS

Teachers for Tomorrow is a program comprising 2 courses that earn 6 college credits from Shenandoah University, as well as ParaPro certification. 100% of student tuition for these classes is paid for by Career Partners, Inc. Both levels are designed to expose 11th and 12th grade students to the teaching profession, as well as earn them college credit and gain experience in the field before entering college. Level 1 is designed to foster interest in and exposure to teaching, while Level 2 of Teachers for Tomorrow gives students the ability to get hands-on experience and apply what they have learned.

Mentoring Program

SPRING & FALL SEMESTERS

Our newest program is modeled after the Virginia Department of Education’s High Quality Work Based Learning (HQWBL) model. Students receive 140 hours of HQWBL instruction through job shadowing, one-on-one mentoring and through workshops with their mentor on various topics such as goal-setting, resume building, networking and more. Students receive high school credit for participating in the program.

Want to support Career Partners Programs?

Businesses and individuals generously provide donations, 100% of which are used to fund Career Partners programs.

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