What makes the Hamburg Academy of Finance program so successful for our students is the numerous partnerships that the program has with the local business community. The Hamburg AOF program is supported by an industry advisory board of over 40 local business owners, educational leaders, college partners, Hamburg alumni, and government officials. The Hamburg Finance Academy Advisory Board is its own 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation. The mission statement developed by the Hamburg Finance Academy Advisory Board, Inc. is as follow:
"The Hamburg Finance Academy Advisory Board promotes partnerships between local businesses and educational leadership. We seek to advise and support the program by promoting the need for financial literacy; by providing industry expertise to support the Academy curriculum; by providing internships for Academy students; by promoting the highest professional ethical standards; and by connecting students to role models in local businesses and organizations."
The major initiatives of the Hamburg Finance Academy Advisory Board are to provide financial expertise to the curriculum and to provide work-based learning experiences for Hamburg Academy of Finance Students. These experiences include organizing corporate tours, coming in to be a guest speaker, hosting job shadows, reviewing career portfolios, networking with AOF students, supporting fundraising events, bringing real-world projects to the curriculum, planning and implementing the AOF Graduation and donating funds for scholarships and additional student experiences. The number one goal of the HFA Advisory Board is to provide compensated INTERNSHIPS for Hamburg Academy of Finance students! Check out the list of partners who serve on the Hamburg Academy of Finance Advisory Board, Inc.
The Hamburg Academy of Finance Advisory Board was recently honored by the Erie County School Board's Association for "Excellence in Collaboration" for the partnership with the Hamburg Academy of Finance program!