Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Connected Polk outlines countywide business–school partnerships, reports $2.55 million invested
Summary
On Aug. 23 at a Polk County School Board work session, a Connected Polk leader described the nonprofit's intermediary role connecting businesses and schools, said the group has invested about $2,552,000 in school programming, and previewed 167 events planned for 2025'026.
Dr. Melody Bridal, a leader with Connected Polk, told the Polk County School Board at its Aug. 23 work session that the nonprofit serves as an intermediary between local businesses and schools to expand students' exposure to careers and create sustainable partnerships across the county.
Bridal said Connected Polk aims to boost student access to career exploration and employer pathways and that the group's founders framed the work both as economic development and a moral imperative. "We are an intermediary which is somewhat new to our area. We are the first of our kind in Polk County," she said.
Connected Polk described a strategy of behind-the-scenes work matching businesses to school needs, providing volunteers and programming partners rather than running its own curriculum. Bridal told the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
