The MBNA Middle School Partnership (2001–2006) was one of the best examples of true grassroots collaboration between business and education. Operating in one region in Maine, this partnership represented the success that can occur when business leaders, educators and communities have the same shared values and goals.

The MBNA Foundation (MBNA was acquired by Bank of America in 2006) established a reputation for its commitment to improving the quality of life in communities where its employees work, recognized early in its history that support for education would be a much needed element in its philanthropic portfolio. Its guidelines for education directly reflected this quality-of-life focus. The foundation supported results-oriented programs and initiatives that not only were designed to assist people to build a better future for themselves, but also were structured to ensure future success.

Each funded program or initiative needed to demonstrate how it would make positive, significant differences in the quality of education. What's unique about this effort is that while the majority of successful business/education partnerships start with the business, in this case the partnership was conceived by two Maine middle school principals. Their schools had been a part of the Champion Middle School Partnership, which was scheduled to end in 2001. The principals, having already experienced the success and positive impact from the previous effort, recognized the benefits of partnering with a business that had a vested interest in the future of the communities where it operated. The principals created a new program and approached MBNA.

Its mission was to develop a collegial, professional network of middle schools in areas within Maine served by MBNA. Its funding was supported by the foundation and school matching funds. Additionally, the schools delivered reports that tracked their success and mapped future objectives. The partnership, initially funded as a six-month trial in 2001, eventually incorporated seven schools that combined reached nearly 220 staff members and 2,020 students.

The partnership had three lead consultants who also were part of the community. Their work with the schools was highly personalized and went beyond professional development to promote and support individual leadership and shared leadership in the schools. The team worked with each school to set tailored annual exploration areas which ranged from middle-level philosophy and best practices to differentiated instruction, climate, decision-making and school merger work.

Back to Our Work

Print this page