Program Goal Is To Increase Student Graduation Rates And Prepare Future Leaders

Gulfstream, in partnership with the Glynn County School System, has expanded its Student Leadership Program (SLP) education initiative to Glynn County public high schools. This expansion will serve the community surrounding Gulfstream’s Brunswick, GA, facility.

Gulfstream established SLP in 2008 through a partnership with the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, with the goal of increasing graduation rates and preparing students to be future leaders. Since that time, SLP in Chatham County has grown to include more than 600 students and 120 community advisors from the local business community and Gulfstream. The graduation rate for the program was 97 percent in 2013, and many of the graduates have continued on to a variety of roles in the business community, the military and higher education.

“Good corporate citizenship is a priority for Gulfstream, and we have seen outstanding benefits as a result of SLP in the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, from the number of businesses and mentors involved to the students who are graduating from the program,” said Jennifer Giffen, vice president, Human Resources, Gulfstream. “Gulfstream employees have embraced the idea of giving back and joining forces with community partners to help make their community a great place to live and work. The Glynn County partnership allows us to expand the opportunities fostered by SLP to the community Gulfstream serves in the Brunswick area.”

Students entering the 2014-15 freshman class at Glynn Academy and Brunswick High School will be eligible to apply for SLP, which will begin when school starts in the fall of 2014. Twenty-five students from each school will be selected in the program’s first year. A total of 50 freshman students will be added to the program in subsequent years, to reach a goal of 200 participants by the 2017-18 academic year.

Gulfstream Brunswick, located about 75 miles south of Gulfstream headquarters in Savannah, has been a company site since 1992 and has nearly 200 employees. It is home to a service center and completions facility spread over approximately 55,000 square feet of hangar space. In 2013, its employees serviced more than 150 aircraft.

Gulfstream encourages companies in the Glynn County area to participate in SLP by partnering on programming and events, serving as mentors and event volunteers, and advising and publicizing the initiative within their professional networks.

FMI: www.gulfstream.com