BUILDING COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

As states strive to meet increased expectations for student achievement, there is a growing understanding that learning happens in many places and that schools alone cannot meet the learning needs of our children. Consequently, there is an increased willingness at the national, state and local levels to consider how the kinds of support conventionally found outside of school can both complement learning in schools and collectively result in better outcomes.

The Partnership has enjoyed a long tradition of linking community and education. It has done so by sponsoring city-school partnerships in nine high-need communities that span the historically rural communities on the San Mateo coast to the more urban cities along the San Francisco Bay. Through these partnerships, ground-breaking initiatives have been launched, best practices implemented and resources leveraged.

Building on these successes, the Partnership has launched a community schools initiative in San Mateo County with generous funding from the David D. Bohannon Foundation, Peninsula Community Foundation, Stuart Foundation and United Way of the Bay Area.

To learn more, contact partnership@siliconvalleycf.org .

How it Works

Community schools take a holistic approach to improving student achievement, not only by providing the highest-quality instruction, but also by offering a wide range of on-site support, services and after-school activities to engage parents and communities in children’s learning.

Through this initiative, the Partnership is mobilizing local leaders and elected officials to formulate a county-wide policy in support of existing community schools and future community schools in the region. At the same time, the Partnership is channeling resources to specific communities where community school efforts are underway including Redwood City, Half Moon Bay and East Menlo Park. A comprehensive evaluation will be put in place to assess impact and share lessons learned with the field.