Our status as leaders in the community schools’ movement was clear in our initiative’s participation at this year’s National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference in Los Angeles. Roslyn Odinga, the UCS director of professional learning, led a standing room-only workshop titled, “Then and Now:  Race and the Struggle for Equity in Education” that addressed trauma related to race at different developmental stages and how educators can support students in a culturally responsive, trauma-informed way.

UCS and more than 3,500 educators, parents and students at the conference shared best practices and learned about the anticipated release of the federal grant for community schools, which has tripled from $25 million to $75 million under the Biden administration.

The dramatic increase reflects a fact that educators and policymakers have known for a long time: Community schools work, the UCS model works. And, as more districts around the country adopt the model, UCS provides veteran guidance and support.

Back on the east coast, Melinda Person, the executive director of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), the UFT’s state affiliate, had the idea of a co-created summit with NYSUT and UCS. Sponsored  by NYSUT and convened at its headquarters, President Andy Pallotta welcomed community school advocates and educators from across the state to the inaugural  NYSUT Community Schools Summit in Albany this past October. Spearheaded by UCS Executive Director Karen Alford, practitioners came to learn how to adopt the community schools model or deepen the work with their area community school.

UCS staff impressed upon colleagues that tailoring the community schools model unifies New York state despite barriers and geography. The summit also featured UCS facilitation on a “Community Schools as Whole-School and Academic Strategy” panel. Wanda Torres-Mercado, the UCS senior director of partnership and evaluation, shared a panel with Kristin Colarusso Martin, a CSD from Massena, a small, rural town in upstate New York, that discussed the sustainability of community schools.

Joined by our colleague, Luann Kida, from SUNY Binghamton, attendees were provided with a roadmap of engagement for creating community schools and expanding engagement within the school and community.

As we launch our lobbying efforts this year, we’ll request a fair share of the federal full-service community school grant money as well as NY state funding for coordinators and integrated services. This, alongside the tireless work of dedicated, creative practitioners, community members, educators and students, will help spread the proven model to districts that are “eager to adopt this model and see how it can strengthen their communities,” said Alford.