Creating a safe place where children can learn and grow depends on a partnership among students, parents, teachers, and other community institutions. Please consider using project-based learning. Teach computer skills at your local library or senior center. Using public schools as hubs, community schools bring together many partners to offer a range of supports and opportunities to children, youth, families and communities. Please select the option that best describes you. The more I searched, the themes for successful school transformation emerged: To lift up and raise our schools to a place that suits all 21st century learners, help needs to come from many parts of the community. We just need to find ways to connect core curriculum beyond the classroom by attracting the right people and asking the right questions. One of the best ways to connect and create an authentic bond is to go to the people who matter most, and meet them on their own turf. Teach and reinforce health hygiene practices. Local markets are a great place to shop right now, too. It is suggested here that schools can learn from the community organising tradition championed by Saul Alinsky: ‘The first thing you’ve got to do in a community is listen, not talk and learn to eat, sleep, breathe only one thing: the problems and aspirations of the community.’ Using Stanford's K12 lab Design Thinking for Educators a methodology, or process leading product and service designers use everyday, participants collaborate to come up with ideas and learning experiences and then share them online for all to benefit from. Here are some strategies: Review, update, and implement emergency operations plans. The event includes interactive stations, student exhibitions, and the winners of the district’s science fair. We need to work as a community to nurture our schools for our particular community needs. A school leader shares his strategies for connecting his community via the school website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, WeChat, and staff blogs. Develop information-sharing systems with partners. Schools need to be ready if COVID-19 does appear in their communities. Libraries are important hubs and can provide meaningful connection points outside the school gates. Community education, also known as community-based education or community learning & development, is an organization's programs to promote learning and social development work with individuals and groups in their communities using a range of formal and informal methods.A common defining feature is that programmes and activities are developed in dialogue with communities and … Here are examples of such, 4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW | Suite 100 | Washington, DC 20008-2304 |, ©2021 Coalition for Community Schools at the, Research and Evaluation for Continuous Improvement, How to Scale Up your Community School Initiative, Community Schools: An Essential Equity Strategy, University-Assisted Community Schools Network, Community Schools FAQs - Answers to your questions. Check out Chapter 4 "Asking the Experts" from Kathleen Cushman's wonderful book Fires in the Mind: What Kids Can Tell Us About Motivation and Mastery. 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. When a school meets students' basic psychological needs, students become increasingly committed to the school's norms, values, and goals. While students volunteered at a rate of 31.2 percent in 2004, this number dropped to 26.1 percent by 2010. Projects Through Organizations in Your Community. Tutor at a community center, your high school, or another school in your area. Compton Unified School Districtdoes this with its STEAMFest. Use libraries to advocate for school-community partnerships and student learning. Let’s discuss how a child can volunteer. While it seems like something nice to do for the community, it can be hard to fit volunteering into a student’s schedule. Here is an example of a community challenge to reinvent the school experience. Community schools offer a personalized curriculum that emphasizes real-world learning and community problem-solving. Libraries are important hubs and can provide meaningful connection points outside the school gates. Nor do they have the resources and capacity to do the things they have been asked to do… Find something that complements your passions, interests, and career aspirations. When families, community groups, business and schools band together to support learning, young people achieve more in school, stay in school longer, and enjoy the experience more. Include the networks they can utilize to raise awareness of the needs of local children and families, and always promote and foster resource-sharing and collaboration. "Why am I learning this? Communities and schools leverage their shared physical and human assets to help kids succeed. In addition, developing definitions in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders is a great way to promote greater voice and shared leadership in your school community. There are many talented, generous people in the community that can help make their own neighborhood school a little better. Let's find ways to work with local businesses and subject matter experts to connect core curriculum to the outside world and design engaging learning experiences in and out of the classroom. Throughout my journey setting up the Reinventing School Challenge, I did a significant amount of research to ensure I had a thorough understanding of what existed already, what worked, and what was possible. The leading roles should be alternated according to the need and focus of the particular aspect of the transformation project. Community colleges also offer an affordable bridge between high school and university, and allow students to complete preliminary studies before transferring to a more expensive four-year college. Reinventing school can mean lots of things such as redesigning classrooms, creating a community garden, creating an open and shared learning space, designing a course, changing the way students participate in decision making, you name it! After all, a stable population base is critical for school enrollment, and good schools build a stronger community. Just as businesses require innovation and the ability to respond to change, so do … There are so many opportunities for experiential learning to happen out in the community surrounding the school. Around 10,000 community members attend the event, which spotlights the district’s STEAM programs. You can stock up on gifts and do good for your local places without taking up all the space in your pantry, too. Even though community service isn’t required for your college apps, it’s still an important part of your personal growth—and can help you get into college by demonstrating that you care about others and take initiative to do something to better the world. American Red Cross – Offers middle school service clubs for schools, as well as good information about how individuals can volunteer. Partners work to achieve these results: Children are ready to enter school; students attend school consistently; students are actively involved in learning and their community; families are increasingly involved with their children's education; schools are engaged with families and communities; students succeed academically; students are healthy - physically, socially, and emotionally; students live and learn in a safe, supportive, and stable environment, and communities are desirable places to live. In addition to student work, the district invites community partners to create STEAM booths and activities that students and families can enjoy… Expanded Learning Opportunities. I created the Reinventing School Challenge earlier this year to encourage discussion, empower youth, teachers and communities to design and facilitate change locally. When both educators and non-educators alike can understand your descriptions, you have created communications assets that you can be used with multiple audiences. Use data to tell your community school story! Use libraries to advocate for school-community partnerships and student learning. One major way to connect with families and members of the community is to hold in-person events. 10. Engaging Instruction. A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Getting involved – how schools can help their local community. Here is a great book on the subject by Suzie Boss. Public schools can play a significant role in the general improvement of their respective communities, and can operate as a major platform for enhancing child welfare in the community. Community-based integrated student services are interventions that improve student achievement by connecting community resources with both the academic and social-service needs of students. Social reformers, politicians, and educational leaders have utilized various initiatives in the past to strengthen the relationship between schools and communities to achieve the common … The right match can help you to find friends, connect with the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career. They connect local concerns with global issues and gain an awareness of others. By Howard Stribbell. Deliver them an open invitation to reconnect, collaborate and share their experience, skills and time to make a difference. Working with States, Tribes, Localities, and Territories (STLT), schools can weigh levels of community transmission and their capacity to implement appropriate mitigation measures in schools to protect students, teachers, administrators, and other staff. Community college can help students transition to a four-year college or a career. Get your teachers, some local businesses on board and go and knock on people's doors, visit local businesses and senior homes and talk with them. To prevent school violence each partner has to take action. I believe the answer to real education/school transformation is strong, authentic community connections and actions. Try using a matching technique to match students with subject matter experts, businesses and community organisations. That is an important question that is in urgent need of answers. All these extra people helping out and working for free greatly helps out financially strapped school districts. As the old African proverb says, "It takes a village to raise a child." For a growing number of students, a four year degree does not fit … Kids today are asking far to often for relevance in what they are learning. We can't rely on local, state, or federal governments to take ownership of the issues we face locally. This time let the students communicate what they hope and wish for their school and encourage them to ask for mentoring and support. Intensify cleaning and disinfection efforts. All this will serve them now and years later as they transition out of school and into the adult world! Reinventing Project-Based Learning: Your Field Guide to Real-World Projects in the Digital Age. I'll never use this!" Share your dreams for enhanced community-school partnerships, ask people what matters to them, ask them how they might help, and show them your passion. Much of what we learn as children and adults happens outside the classroom through real world experiences and from our peers, mentors or on the job. I'm approaching this post from an inclusive, design-focused view, and I put to you ideas that target and engage the four main players I believe can make all the difference in transforming our schools and curriculum today: students, parents, seniors/grandparents and local businesses. Try the same approach with groups of students. Every school would benefit from increased community support. Such interventions focus on programmatic energy , resources , and time on both school and student goals. Simple ideas for creating a stronger network. School support comes from a variety of places both internally and externally. The most important thing you can do now is to prepare. Spread the love. 12. Edutopia® and Lucas Education Research™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of the George Lucas Educational Foundation in the U.S. and other countries. November 14, 2014. A school community is important to help students grow and develop and achieve higher academic standards. Giving to others can also help protect your mental and physical health. A series of community walks are a great way to start. Join a PTA, volunteer in a classroom or playground, teach a weekly class, or donate some supplies. A community resource map can come in the form of a hand-drawn map (use a graphic facilitator), Google Map, Mind Map or even a spreadsheet with some visual outputs. Volunteer at an animal shelter. A visual representation of your community and the various skills people have to offer is a super way to understand what community resources are available. Students, Parents, School Staff, Community Partners and Law Enforcement Ideas on how to create a safe school. So what can social media ‘do’? Schools become centers of the community and are open to everyone – all day, every day, evenings and weekends. Great examples of school/community partnerships are happening all over the world. Working together, kids learn to solve problems and make decisions and successfully contribute to their community. Schools can provide more support for students, families and staff when they are an integral part of the community. One could imagine then that it would take a community to raise a school. Some events that help build school communities are … They connect local concerns with global issues and gain an awareness of others. Schools frequently provide employment for community residents and, in some cases, offer community services. If your child is committed, community college can be a great place to thrive. 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