CEOs in Schools: Bringing the boardroom to the classroom in Hillsborough County elementary schools

Christopher Curry | Wednesday, October 16, 2024

CEOs in Schools has volunteer CEOs and business leaders spend a full school day in a Hillsborough County Public Schools elementary school. Hillsborough Education Foundation

CEOs in Schools is looking for business leaders who want to bring the boardroom to the classroom.

The program, a partnership between Vistra Communications and Hillsborough Education Foundation in collaboration with Hillsborough County Public Schools, has volunteer CEOs and business leaders spend a full school day in a district elementary school. They can visit classes to share their business experience, help teach a class, work the media center or cafeteria, meet school leaders and support staff, work alongside school volunteers, and maybe even make an appearance on the school’s morning show.

“It’s a great way for business leaders to get to know firsthand about the successes and challenges in our schools and see public education at work,” Hillsborough Education Foundation President and CEO Anna Corman says.

The initiative started after Vistra Communications CEO Brian Butler spent an entire school day at Mort Elementary with then-Principal Woodland Johnson. Butler, who has a long-standing relationship supporting Mort, spent time teaching, planning lessons, serving lunch and performing other tasks.

Following Butler's day at Mort, CEOs in Schools officially launched in 2019. The next school year, Vistra entered a partnership to have Hillsborough Education Foundation take over running the program. CEOs in Schools aims to recruit approximately 150 Tampa Bay area business leaders, one for each elementary school in the Hillsborough school district.

“Our not-so-secret hope is that it’s a great pairing and the CEO or business leader becomes truly invested in that school and continues to come back year after year,” Corman says. “We want them to really develop that relationship and hopefully think of ways they can support the school throughout the year, whether that is bringing their staff to volunteer or dropping off donuts during Teacher Appreciation Week. There’s a whole number of things business leaders can do to support these schools and really become an advocate for them.”

This year’s CEOs in Schools takes place on November 1st.

For more information and to sign up to volunteer, go to CEOs in Schools

Read more articles by Christopher Curry.

Chris Curry has been a writer for the 83 Degrees Media team since 2017. Chris also served as the development editor for a time before assuming the role of managing editor in May 2022. Chris lives in Clearwater. His professional career includes more than 15 years as a newspaper reporter, primarily in Ocala and Gainesville, before moving back home to the Tampa Bay Area. He enjoys the local music scene, the warm winters and Tampa Bay's abundance of outdoor festivals and events. When he's not working or spending time with family, he can frequently be found hoofing the trails at one of Pinellas County's nature parks.