Community School Programs

Goals of the Community Schools Framework

• Sustain: Create opportunities to lead together with a Community Schools Council leadership groups and program leads.
• Share: Create opportunities to grow together offering education to the community with Financial Literacy education, Life Groups, Work Keys, etc.
• Spread: Create opportunities to work together with community projects, classroom help, Homework and College/Career Diner, and after-school clubs.
• Support: Create opportunities for students and families to care for basic needs like food, clothing, housing, utilities, legal, etc.

Key Infrastructure

• Principal: The principal models collaborative leadership by working with the community school coordinator, partners and staff to actively integrate families and community partners into the life and work of the school.
• Community School Coordinator: A dedicated full-time Community School Coordinator facilitates alignment of school, family and community resources as a member of the school’s leadership team.
• Community School Council: A representative site-based leadership team, including families, students, community partners, unions, community residents, the principal, community school coordinator, teachers, and other school personnel, guides collaborative planning, implementation, and oversight.

Guiding Principles

• Pursue equity
• Invest in a whole-child approach to education
• Build on community strengths to ensure conditions for learning
• Use data and community wisdom to guide partnerships, programs, and progress
• Commit to interdependence and shared accountability
• Invest in building trusting relationships
• Foster a learning organization

What Is A Community School?

A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Its integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities.

What is a Community School (YouTube)

Homework Dinner Grows Wings (HDGW)

For those of you who have heard of Home Work Diner at other schools, it has been restructured, and is now known as Homework Diner Grows Wings (HDGW).