An initiative to connect students, teachers, and businesses is happening in Washington Monday. In the past, the Washington Community School District has had staff go out into the community and visit businesses to observe the work they do during professional development time. This year it’s reversed, and businesses are invited to see how today’s classrooms work to prepare students for life beyond school.

Washington Community School District Curriculum Director Veta Thode says the goal is to build relationships between the schools and area businesses, “We want people to come in and see what’s going on, and just continue to build that bridge between our community, and our workplaces in the community, and our schools. We have so many great supporters, unbelievable supporters for events that we have, for drives that we do in the buildings. And it’s also a way of, you know, having them come in, and kind of almost like a thank you, and embracing the collaboration between the community and the schools.”

The Washington School District is now 1:1 with computers from kindergarten through 12th grade. People are able to select which age level they’d like to observe and register through the school district’s central office.