HOWDY PARTNER
Engaging stakeholders to support K-12 missions
When Hilary Sontag talks about the “#StVrainAdvantage,” she’s not pitching a slogan—she’s describing a movement. As Executive Director of Advancement & Strategic Partnerships for St. Vrain Valley Schools, Sontag says the district’s success begins with a mindset: Students don’t just graduate—they launch.
For St. Vrain, the administration believes in what they call the #StVrainAdvantage, where students graduate with a strong, competitive advantage. That advantage comes through design thinking, engineering, work-based learning and incredible arts and athletics programs. “We were early adopters of career-connected learning—making our schools more relevant to the outside world,” says Sontag, who has spent the past seven-plus years specializing in fund development and strategic partnerships for the Longmont, Colorado, school district.
That relevance shows up everywhere. Across St. Vrain’s schools, more than half of all high-schoolers are enrolled in a career-connected course spanning over two dozen pathways. From cybersecurity and health sciences to media arts and engineering, each program links classroom learning with real-world experience.
“We recognized early on that community partnerships were critical to that work,” Sontag says. “Our teachers don’t necessarily know what it’s like to be a doctor or a drone pilot or a television casting director. Only those professionals do, so we rely on those real-world opportunities for our students to test-drive careers.”
“In schools with strong cultures, partnerships come naturally. And when everyone returns to their ‘why,’ you create incredible opportunities for students.”
— Hilary Sontag, Executive Director of Advancement & Strategic Partnerships, St. Vrain Valley Schools
Sontag believes those connections lead to powerful outcomes. She points to the district’s student drone performance team—20 high-school pilots who recently performed at the world’s largest space industry conference in Colorado Springs. “Our students have become so skilled that our 18-year-old pilots are regularly flown across the country to pilot shows in other cities. Multiple students have been offered $60,000 piloting jobs straight out of high school, with salaries increasing to $80,000 after a two-month trial period.”
Behind those stories is a network of teachers, families and industry partners pulling in the same direction. Many of the district’s partnerships originate with parents who serve on boards and community committees. “Families are critical in supporting school partnerships,” Sontag says. “When someone reaches out to us—whether with a concern or an opportunity—we move quickly. Our kids are too important to respond any other way.”
For Sontag, collaboration isn’t just strategic, but cultural. The most important thing is having staff and school leaders with a strong sense of their mission and vision. “In schools with strong cultures, partnerships come naturally. And when everyone returns to their ‘why,’ you create incredible opportunities for students.”
Her advice to other administrators is simple: Start small and dream big. “This work takes time and patience. Be creative, be optimistic, and keep students at the center. When we bring partners in, we try to speak as little as possible—students will always represent us best.”
Sustaining the Connection
Across the country, Drew Schlosberg sees the same truth play out every day. As a member of the Leadership Team for the Classroom of the Future Foundation (CFF) in San Diego, he has watched firsthand how partnerships thrive when schools deliver on their promises.
“It’s been in the ethos of the Classroom of the Future Foundation ever since we were started in 1997,” says Schlosberg, who has produced the longest running community podcast in the country, “Spotlight on the Community.” “The whole goal was to unite businesses with schools through technology.”
CFF’s roots stretch back to its founding inside the San Diego County Office of Education. What began as a tech-driven collaboration evolved into a system built around college and career pathways—a focus Schlosberg helped champion almost a decade ago. “We said we need to really focus on pathways because that’s where the relevance is—connecting what kids learn to why they’re learning it,” says Schlosberg, who also is President of XTRA Weekly.
“Make time for the business that wants to help you. Find that flexible teacher who can coordinate and keep things moving.”
— Drew Schlosberg, Member, Classroom of the Future Foundation
That focus inspired the group’s College and Career Pathways Summit, now entering its ninth year. The event draws educators, business leaders and students for breakout sessions on everything from AI and cybersecurity to innovative teaching models. But Schlosberg says the most powerful voices always come from students. “We had a panel of students who were very candid. They told us schools should do a lot more to focus on relevance and linking what they learn to why they’re learning it. They were respectful but blunt—and we loved it.”
The conversation led to direct impact. All three students on that panel found jobs. Two were hired by Schlosberg’s Cloudcast Media company (of which Schlosberg is a partner), to produce podcasts and one joined a local innovation center. “When you create authentic opportunities, the partnerships sustain themselves.”
Still, Schlosberg believes lasting collaboration depends on something simple: follow-through. “If you make a commitment, deliver it. It’s not tough stuff — it’s relationships. When schools keep their word, businesses always come back.”
For Schlosberg, that mindset starts with leadership. “Administrators need to be marketing oriented. Superintendents are the mayors of their districts, and principals are the faces of their communities. The successful ones are out there making connections—showing up and following through.”
He believes every school can take small, consistent steps to get there. “Make time for the business that wants to help you. Find that flexible teacher who can coordinate and keep things moving. Because when you open the door, the community shows up.”
SIDEBAR
3 Ways to Strengthen Partnerships
1. Start with your “why” – Partnerships grow when everyone knows the purpose. Whether it’s work-based learning or family engagement, lead with mission—not metrics.
2. Overcommunicate – Don’t assume one email or meeting builds connection. Share updates, celebrate wins, and keep partners in the loop. Busy people stay engaged when they feel informed.
3. Follow through; every time –If you make a commitment, deliver it. Reliability is the difference between a one-off event and a long-term relationship.
Sources: Hilary Sontag, St. Vrain Valley Schools; Drew Schlosberg, Classroom of the Future Foundation
