WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:25.759 >> GERRY, BACK TO YOU. >> KYLIE, THANK YOU. THE METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF FLORENCE AND 2 00:00:25.759 --> 00:00:29.295 WASHINGTON TOWNSHIPS IN INDIANAPOLIS ARE WORKING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON SUPPLIER DIVERSITY AND WORKFORCE 3 00:00:29.295 --> 00:00:32.732 DEVELOPMENT. VOTERS IN EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE PASSING REFERENDUMS ON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS 4 00:00:32.732 --> 00:00:35.802 TOTALING MORE THAN $600 BILLION. AS PART OF THE DEAL MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES WILL HAVE MORE 5 00:00:35.802 --> 00:00:38.938 OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTION SIDE OF THOSE PROJECTS WILL BE ABLE TO INTERN AND WORK FOR CREWS 6 00:00:38.938 --> 00:00:42.308 WORKING ON THEIR CAMPUS. FOR MORE ON THAT UNIQUE APPROACH I'M PLEASED TO BE JOINED BY WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 7 00:00:42.308 --> 00:00:45.311 SCHOOLS CAPITAL PROJECT MANAGER JIM BOOTS AND LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT DOCTOR SEAN SMITH. 8 00:00:45.311 --> 00:00:47.447 GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM. >> THANKYOU. >> DOCTOR SMITH I WILL START 9 00:00:47.447 --> 00:00:57.290 WITH YOU AND LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE BIG PROJECTS GOING ON IN LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 10 00:00:57.290 --> 00:01:00.727 BETWEEN LAWRENCE AND WASHINGTON TOWNSHIPS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TODAY ALL TOLD AND ALL IN NEARLY $1 BILLION IN PROJECTS. 11 00:01:00.727 --> 00:01:07.367 A LOT OF MONEY. THERE'S ALWAYS TALK OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS MATCH UP. 12 00:01:07.367 --> 00:01:13.072 YOU ARE TAKING SOME UNIQUE APPROACHES TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND HOW SO? >> DEFINITELY. 13 00:01:13.072 --> 00:01:19.612 THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO COME AND SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC. A HUGE PART OF WHAT WAS IN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY. 14 00:01:19.612 --> 00:01:27.420 THAT IS INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN AND OUR FACILITIES AND SCHOOLS. FOR LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP THE BOARD 15 00:01:27.420 --> 00:01:33.526 OF EDUCATION TOOK UP APPROACH AND DIVISION AS WE WENT THROUGH THESE PROCESSES IS HOW DO WE ENGAGE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY? 16 00:01:33.526 --> 00:01:45.205 HOW DO WE GET COMPANIES PART OF OUR PROJECTS? THEY SAID HEY, WE WANT TO HAVE MINORITY OWNED COMPANIES WORK 17 00:01:45.205 --> 00:01:51.177 WITH US THROUGH THE REFERENDUM PROJECT AND PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE THE DISTRICT. RUSS, START WITH THE BOARD OF 18 00:01:51.177 --> 00:02:01.754 EDUCATION'S BOARD GOAL. >> IN TERMS OF GETTING MORE MINORITY PARTICIPATION, HOW DO YOU DO IT? 19 00:02:01.754 --> 00:02:09.929 SOMETIMES IT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE RIGHT? >> CERTAINLY. OBVIOUSLY CAN WRITE A ROP AND 20 00:02:09.929 --> 00:02:13.366 PUT IT OUT AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL APPLY BUT WE TOOK A DIFFERENT APPROACH. WE NETWORKED AND TALKED WITH 21 00:02:13.366 --> 00:02:19.005 OTHER COMPANIES AND EVEN IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR OF MINORITY COMPANIES OUT THERE AND WE CERTAINLY INVITED THEM IN TO 22 00:02:19.005 --> 00:02:25.445 TALK TO THEM AND MEET THEM TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DO. WE WERE VERY AGGRESSIVE IN OUR 23 00:02:25.445 --> 00:02:34.487 APPROACH TO GO AND SEEK THEM OUT. THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS BRINGING THOSE COMPANIES IN AND 24 00:02:34.487 --> 00:02:38.525 INTERVIEWING THEM ALONGSIDE OTHER COMPANIES TO FIND THE BEST TALENT OUT THERE. >> JIM, PART OF THE ISSUE IS 25 00:02:38.525 --> 00:02:52.272 SOME OF THE SMALLER MINORITY OWNED FIRMS MAY BE DON'T HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO MEET SOME OF THE STANDARDS OR WHAT NEEDS TO 26 00:02:52.272 --> 00:02:55.308 HAPPEN IN TERMS OF QUALIFYING FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS. HOW DO YOU DO THAT? HAD HE REALLY SMALLER MINORITY 27 00:02:55.308 --> 00:03:05.919 FIRMS INTO THE MIX? >> THAT IS THE TRUTH AND WE EXPERIENCED MUCH OF THE SAME THAT DOCTOR SMITH AND HIS TEAM 28 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:08.421 DID. THERE'S A LOT OF FIRMS OUT THERE AND IT'S GETTING THEM TEAMED UP WITH THE PROPER 29 00:03:08.421 --> 00:03:15.495 PARTNERS TO ASSIST THEM AND HELP THEM GROW. OBVIOUSLY, THEY WANT TO LEARN AND KNOW HOW TO CONDUCT 30 00:03:15.495 --> 00:03:22.969 BUSINESS WITH A LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND BE SUCCESSFUL. IN THE SAME TIME, THEY ARE OFTEN LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MEET 31 00:03:22.969 --> 00:03:31.978 THOSE PARTNERS. WE WORK VERY HARD TO IDENTIFY THOSE COMPANIES AND IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PARTNERS WITH THEM AS 32 00:03:31.978 --> 00:03:43.256 WELL. THEY COULD BECOME CONTRIBUTE MEMBERS TO OUR PROGRAMS. >> I WANT TO ASK YOU BOTH ABOUT 33 00:03:43.256 --> 00:03:45.925 THIS. AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS IS CONNECTING STUDENTS AND GETTING THEM ENGAGED WITH INTERNSHIPS 34 00:03:45.925 --> 00:03:48.394 AND MENTORSHIPS. INCLUDING SOME PAID INTERNSHIPS. HOW ARE STUDENTS PART OF THIS 35 00:03:48.394 --> 00:03:55.068 PROCESS? >> IT'S AN IMPORTANT PROCESS THAT OUR BOARD COMMITTED TO EARLY IN THE PROCESS IN 2016 36 00:03:55.068 --> 00:04:02.308 AND AGAIN WHEN THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED ANOTHER REFERENDUM IN 2020 IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC. 37 00:04:02.308 --> 00:04:18.257 PART OF THAT WAS OUR DESIGN FIRMS AND COMPANIES TO GET THE COMMITMENT TO HIRE INTERNS AND STUDENTS TO ASSIST WITH 38 00:04:18.257 --> 00:04:22.829 PROGRAMS ACROSS THE BOARD. CURRENTLY WE HAVE TWO STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AND EMPLOYED BY SOME OF OUR PROFESSIONAL PARTNERS. 39 00:04:22.829 --> 00:04:32.739 TODAY WE HAVE ABOUT $30 MILLION IN PARTICIPATION IN OUR CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS. ANOTHER $50 MILLION IN A 40 00:04:32.739 --> 00:04:39.545 PROFESSIONAL PARTNERS PROGRAM IN DESIGN AND ENGINEERING COMPANIES. IT PROVIDES A GREAT OPPORTUNITY 41 00:04:39.545 --> 00:04:49.055 FOR A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE INTERNSHIPS. >> TELL US ABOUT THAT STUDENT 42 00:04:49.055 --> 00:04:53.593 PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT DOWN AND LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP? >> ABSOLUTELY, IT'S A NO-BRAINER. 43 00:04:53.593 --> 00:05:08.341 THESE COMPANIES ARE LOOKING FOR WORKERS IN OUR CAREER CENTER OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES ARE AN EASY 44 00:05:08.341 --> 00:05:12.145 PLACE TO FIND THE STUDENTS. WE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THAT AND ALLOWED FOR MANY OF HER STUDENTS TO WORK ALONGSIDE 45 00:05:12.145 --> 00:05:14.647 THESE PROJECTS. ESPECIALLY OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN THEY ARE LOOKING FOR EXTRA HELP. 46 00:05:14.647 --> 00:05:25.525 FOR US, OVER $42 MILLION OF OUR PROJECTS SPECIFICALLY GONE TO XP COMPANIES AND THEY DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB. 47 00:05:25.525 --> 00:05:28.728 MANY HAVE GONE SOLO. THESE COMPANIES HAVE GROWN IN THEIR WORK BY WORKING WITH LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS OR 48 00:05:28.728 --> 00:05:31.564 FROM OUR COMMUNITY. >> BIG PROJECTS IN LAWRENCE AND WASHINGTON TOWNSHIPS.