Professional Development
Lynda Cannedy, Small Business Development Center at MSU
The Chamber of Commerce offers multiple professional development training sessions each year. Please check the event calendar for upcoming sessions!
Discover Graham with Dorman
Discover Graham with Dorman is a video series featuring people in Graham who have powerful stories to tell. Episode one features lifelong Graham resident Sammye Knox and tells her story of Leadership, Integrity, and Determination.
You Lead
The You Lead program is hosted by the Graham Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Texas Agrilife Extension Service, and is a nine-month course designed develop and educate future community leaders. The program begins with a mandatory retreat, which serves to unify the class and begin the journey of enhancing leadership skills for the betterment of Graham and Young County. Sessions are to be held monthly with a graduation in May. Throughout the program, participants will gain an understanding into the workings of the county through tours, panels, quality speakers, and community practitioners. In many cases, the program director of the myriad of local services and businesses will present informative presentations describing their program.
(Agrlife logo, pictures, and PDF of application in Dropbox)
The Retail Coach
The Graham Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Graham Economic Development, Graham Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Graham Regional Medical Center, are working with The Retail Coach to provide data and analysis to Chamber member businesses. This analysis provides valuable information such as market reach, customer traffic patterns, and leakage analysis (what consumers are purchasing outside of Graham). This information is available to members at no cost! Email Krisa@grahamtexas.org to schedule a free consultation!
Click here to access The Retail Coach – Graham Analysis Dashboard!
Future Workforce Development
Youth Lead
Youth Lead is a program hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Graham Independent School District. Youth Lead is similar to You Lead, but designed specifically for high school students. Sessions are one day per month and students are transported via school bus to various businesses, nonprofit organizations, municipalities and other government buildings/offices within Young County to meet with professionals and leaders within the community. In addition to leadership, topics in this program also include the following:
- Credit Scores, Budgeting, and Basic Financial Literacy
- Etiquette
- Non-profit/Charitable Organizations
- City and County Leadership
- History of Graham
Freshman Friday
Freshman Friday provides Graham High School students with the opportunity to hear from professionals in the community regarding a specific career field the student has expressed interest in pursuing.
Please contact us if you are interested in Freshman Friday speaking opportunities!
Hot Chocolicious
Hot Chocolicious is a program created by the Graham Chamber of Commerce and is designed to promote entrepreneurship and educate Graham Junior High Students on the basics of starting a business. Topics for this program include:
- Branding
- Project Management
- Marketing
- Budgeting
- Building a Stand
- Philanthropy
- Forming a Business Plan
- Applying for a Loan
Students complete a full day of training and each team selects a local nonprofit organization to receive their proceeds. then apply for a loan through local banking institutions. Then, the teams set up their “business” on the night of the Downtown Stroll and Lighted Christmas Parade. Prizes (in the form of a donation to the selected charity) are given to winning teams for highest profit margin, best theme and design, and best marketing. The teams present the donation checks to the nonprofit organizations selected at a wrap-up/finale.
Growing our Next Generation
The Graham Chamber of Commerce and Graham Independent School District (GISD) are working together to invest in our youth and benefit our local economy!
GISD provides students (Juniors and Seniors) with an educational opportunity enriched with valuable, hands-on and career focused lessons by offering an internship program. This program also provides local businesses with complimentary assistance in their workplace in exchange for their participation in helping to grow and educate our future workforce.
The class is designed to be two consecutive class periods for a full year. Students must be 16, have a driver’s license, and their own transportation. There is no GPA requirement, however, GISD does screen for absences and discipline. Training sponsors should email GISD if the student is not showing up for their internship. Communication with the GHS teacher in charge of the program is key.
Training Stations need to be within a 15-mile radius of the high school. Students must stay on site and must always be supervised. Child Labor Laws apply. Ideally, the student should be interning at a training station that has something to do with their career interest. In addition, students are not supposed to intern with a relative. The business must be open Monday-Friday and during the assigned class times.
The intern program has proven to be a great experience for not only the student but also the business owner and staff. Through this program we are able to prepare these students for life in the workforce and equip them with real world knowledge to help them succeed past high school. It in turn helps the local business owners know that we do have strong, intelligent, focused individuals joining our workforce in the very near future.
Please click below to see suggestions for how to best equip your intern to succeed and to fill out an online application. The online application will confirm interest in your organization serving as a participant in the internship program!
Thank you for your decision to be a part of this very important program. We are very excited to work side by side with you!