A whole child, whole-community approach to learning.
Community schools leverage the resources of the whole community – students, families, educators, and community partners – to build relationship-centered, supportive, and equitable school communities where learning is culturally-rooted, inclusive, rigorous, and relevant.
What Are Community Schools?
Students and families are the heart…
Community schools hold students, and their families, at the heart of the school. “We will do anything for our students!” say community school principals. Community schools see students’ families as assets and partners, not “clients” or occasional stakeholders.
What Are Community Schools?
Surrounded by caring adults….
Educators, families, and community members collaborate to support student learning and well-being. Partner staff is often embedded at the school and is indistinguishable from school staff.
What Are Community Schools?
Supported by compassionate systems.
Student service providers, public agencies, community-based organizations, municipal entities, and advocates work together to support student well-being and learning. Dedicated staffing, relational infrastructure, and creative funding sustains community school systems.
We see these relationships in…
Collaborative leadership, shared decision-making, and voice
Community school leaders share the load, collaborating with educators, families, partners, and students to cultivate a shared vision, and make space for ongoing community engagement and voice.
We see these relationships in…
Empowering student and family engagement
Families and students are partners in learning. Students and families have voice and agency in school development. Students and families are actively supported to participate meaningfully in data-driven conversations and decision-making.
We see these relationships in…
Integrated student, family, and staff support systems.
Community schools create systems to integrate mental, physical, and behavioral health services into the school. All adults at the school actively work to support students' social-emotional development, cultivate a learning environment of safety and belonging.
We see these relationships in…
Expanded, enriched, community-connected learning.
Community schools expand the time and opportunities available for learning, starting with the youngest learners, and continuing to support strong college/career transitions. In the classroom, students receive quality instruction in core subjects that is rigorous, relevant, and culturally attuned. Students have voice and choice in their learning and development.
