Bureau of Land Management
School Partners: Pringle Elementary and Sprague High; Witeaker, Houck, Leslie, and Salem Heights

Photo: Scott Brayton with the Bureau of Land Management (left) accepts the Business Partner of the Month award from School Board Chairperson Steve Chambers.

The Bureau of Land Management serves as a Business Partner to Pringle Elementary and Sprague High School. In addition, they have been great community partners to several other schools: Whiteaker, Houck, Leslie, and Salem Heights, to name a few. The BLM is also a contributor to the Expanding Your Horizons program for middle school girls.

Several staff members from the BLM volunteer in different capacities in and for our schools. To list a few items, Scott Brayton has been involved with volunteering to tutor and read with struggling readers at Pringle and he has gone on field trip with Pringle classes. He has volunteered in the SMART program at Salem Heights, gone on field trips with the students from Pringle, helps with the archeology presentations at Whiteaker and Houck, and coordinates classroom visits to BLM's arboretum.

When asked about the partnership with Pringle, the first words out of the office manager's mouth were - They are awesome! They help with Thanksgiving baskets for needy Pringle families, and are very generous with helping provide items for the Giving Tree. Pringle staff says they are truly outstanding members of our community.

Sprague's staff had similar words. The BLM is wonderful!  For the past 15 years, they have provided job shadow opportunities in all of their positions for their sophomore economic students. Ron Exeter from the bureau will be the guest speaker to a group of sophomores at Sprague' next career day on December 19.

Thank you for taking the time and making the effort to enrich the lives of the students of Salem-Keizer Schools.