Consultation, Advocacy, Innovation

Consultation

The Center’s work is always tailored to the needs of our clients and starts with an initial consultation that explores their goals and unique circumstances. After this initial diagnostic assessment, we outline a plan of action that may include training, meeting facilitation, on-site consultations and observations, and application of various tools we have developed over the past 15 years to help schools and the partners move from vision to implementation. Our consultation services apply to single schools, multi-site initiatives and community school systems.

Advocacy

Advocacy is central to realizing our vision of Every School a Community School. Our staff works to effect public policies that support robust and durable school-community partnerships—policies at the federal, state and local levels. At the national level, we are active leaders in the Coalition for Community Schools and have supported passage of the Full-Service Community Schools Act, the Keeping Parents and Communities Engaged (PACE) Act and expansion of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. At the state level, we have drafted Full-Service Community Schools legislation that was recently introduced into the NYS Assembly and we regularly partner with colleague organizations to advance the community schools agenda throughout New York City and State.

Innovation

All of the Center’s services draw on the dual experiences of operating community schools in New York City and providing technical assistance nationally and internationally. These experiences allow our staff to capture knowledge of innovative practice wherever it occurs and to translate that knowledge into tools, materials and other useful services. At the local level, our implementation team recently convened a Community Schools 2.0 Task Force to address issues of innovation and continuous improvement in our own practice. At the national level, we have recently updated and refined all of our technical assistance tools to reflect the growing knowledge base about sustainable and systemic change. We continue to convene leaders in the field through our biannual Community Schools Practicum.