Johnson & Johnson launched a BTE program in Wilmington, Delaware aimed at improving the academic success, and thus the graduation rate of at-risk youth. Partnering with Christiana District School and building on a major grant from the US Department of Education to implement a district-wide “transformation plan” to develop Small Learning Communities (SLC), the BTE program piloted key concepts of themed academies and exposed BTE students to various health careers. The BTE program accelerated student learning by using age-appropriate instructional materials, innovative teaching and learning strategies, and hands-on career exposure. Specifically, the program offered a comprehensive and highly focused approach to (1) reduce student learning barriers; (2) improve teacher-student interactions; (3) develop teacher-support service relationships; and (4) facilitate parent-family engagement. For five consecutive years twenty students, received year-round support before, during and after school, and during the summer months. Noramco employees, trained by Creative Mentoring, served as science mentors.
