The Business Education Partnership Foundation will celebrate its 30th anniversary and recognize longtime partners Nissan, the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, and State Farm with a luncheon from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19 at Embassy Suites Murfreesboro. 

Local business leaders formed BEP in 1988 to promote collaboration between educators and the business community in efforts to prepare students for the workforce. Today, BEP's diverse programs support students, teachers, school counselors, and leaders through a number of initiatives, all of which focus on the need to bring real-world experiences into classrooms.

During the most recent session of the General Assembly, BEP was honored in the Tennessee House of Representatives through House Joint Resolution No. 920(see above), introduced by Rep. Dawn White, for three decades of helping build Rutherford County’s workforce. 

BEP is the only organization founded to support both Murfreesboro City Schools Rutherford County Schools.  BEP’s longest running and most impactful program is the BEP Nissan Teacher Minigrant Award initiative, which funds multiple innovative hands-on classroom learning projects twice annually. 

Thousands of students have benefited from the awards over the years; an MTSU study indicated that the average single BEP Nissan Minigrant impacts 417 students.

BEP is also well known for its tuition-free summer career exploration camps: STEMEx, Camp M.D. Presented by Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, and BEP Summer Business Camp Presented by State Farm. 

In addition to highlighting accomplishments, the BEP30 Celebration will include an exciting announcement on a new initiative.  

Sponsors of BEP30 include Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital | Ascension, Franklin Synergy Bank, and Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation.  Tickets are $50 each; sponsorship opportunities are also available.

To sponsor, host a table, or reserve your ticket, contact Amelia Bozeman at abozeman@rutherfordchamber.org or 615-278-2008.