
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, October 7, 1993                   TAG: 9310070506
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: W-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LAURA WILLIAMSON
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

ROANOKE'S SCHOOL-BUSINESS PROJECT RECEIVES AWARD FROM STATE PROGRAM

Gov. Douglas Wilder recognized the Roanoke school system Saturday for its "outstanding" educational partnership program, which pairs 42 local businesses with 27 city schools.

Roanoke earned one of eight regional awards given by the Virginia Business-Education Partnership Program, established by Wilder in 1992 to promote relationships between the public schools and the private sector.

The 78 school-business partnerships in Roanoke address both instructional and social needs, including tutoring programs, school health clinics and programs that prepare students to enter the job market, said spokesman Lissy Runyon.

Not all city schools are paired with local businesses, Runyon said. However, there are some schools involved in several partnerships and some programs that are offered citywide, such as one that gives free meals from Old Country Buffet to students with perfect attendance.

Other business partners include Kroger, Crestar Bank, Shenandoah Life, Junior Achievement, General Electric and Central Fidelity Bank, she said.

by CNB