Community InvolvementThe Community Compact

ModelEngaging Student,

School and Community

Any Community USA

What is Community Involvement?

Community Involvement seeks to empower individuals and groups of people by providing them with the skills they need to effect change in their own communities.

It involves changing the relationships between ordinary people and people in positions of power, so that everyone can take part in the issues that effect their lives.

ObservationA teacher in a inner-city school observed: “The school’s not like it was. We used to be like a family, the old-style working-class community. We didn't have to do anything special: we just drew on what was there in the home background. But it’s not like that anymore. And there’s nothing we can do about it. How can you make a community in a school when there’s no community out there?”

(Hargreaves 1982, pp 34-35) The Challenges for the Comprehensive School

The Community Compact Theory

• An agreement for mutual benefit between an individual or group and the government or community as a whole.

• To improve commitment to the lowest performing schools and students attending those schools

• Development of community and faith vested organizations and local business partnership

“It Takes a Village to Raise a Child”

The Community Compact Goal• To provide both community collaboration and a

continuum of care for all student attending the lowest performing schools within a community

• Provide volunteers and an envelope of support for students and faculty

• Increased access to internships, mentoring, and job shadowing opportunities for students

• An inseparable relationship between partners and parents

Goal continued• Facilitate meetings to allow parents to interact

with school and elected city officials • Assist partners to understand how they can

contribute to student achievement• Establish a peer network among parents and

empower parents to be more active in their child's education

The Importance of Community Involvement

Why should I care about becoming involved in my community?

Better Schools Better Relationship with Businesses Better Resources Lower Crime Rate Better Community to live in

Six Types of Involvement* Parenting--helping families to become aware and knowledgeable about child development, and providing resources that enable them to establish home environments that can enhance student learning.

* Communicating--effective, appropriate, relevant, two-way contact about school events, student academic or personal development and progress, and/or insight within the home environment.

* Volunteering--organizing and participating in activities initiated by school personnel or generated by community members aimed at supporting students and school programs, such as service-learning projects, Big Brothers Big Sisters programs, or violence-reduction assemblies.

Six Types continued* Learning at home--providing information to parents and families about school procedures (e.g., homework expectations, grading scales) in order to help them augment their children's academic activities.

* Decision-making--including parents and family members from all backgrounds as representatives and leaders on school committees.

* Collaborating with the community--identifying and integrating resources, services, and other assets from the community to help meet the needs of school personnel, students, and their families.

Community CollaborationPartnership Development

• Chose partners who can increase and enhance the delivery of student support services

• Can provide care to each student and family in the compact we service

• Able to interact with students and families on a regular basis

• Hold opportunities that can better serve the compact participants.

Partnership Involvement• Active- the community member is recognized,

available, and often in attendance for student support services, activities, and events

• Passive- the community member does not want to be recognized but will donate materials or money to student support service, activities, and events

• Mentor/Volunteer- the community member that donates time to help in any capacity needed by the Community Compact.

Community Member Actions• Meet with school personnel to determine what support can

be offered to support school’s or district’s objective• Provide mentoring and after school programs to give

children a safe haven from violence and crime• Offer school to work programs that lead to college, technical

training, or jobs after high school• Provide programs for parents to include serving on school-

community committees, academic classes, literacy training, early childhood education, and career and financial instruction

School, Family and Community Partnerships

The plan for convening relevant student support services and community partners to focus on providing a

continuum of services

Multi Institutional Compact

Sample MOUPage 1

Sample MOUPage 2

Sample MOUPage 3

Sample MOUPage 4

Letter of Agreement

Letter of AgreementTemplate

Community Liaison• Facilitate the development and recruitment of

community partners• Maintain ongoing efforts for recruitment• Identify businesses that ensure and encourage

diversity• Provide opportunities to host business “meet and

greet” to expand the exposure to the community compact

Better Schools

When parents and communities are involved in schools, education improves; from New York to California, from one student’s classroom to a whole community, the impact of one effects all.

Community Involvement• Every person should have a chance to feel

connected to their neighbors and the place they live in.

• The future depends on our ability to work together to find the best solutions , to use resources wisely, and to learn to see our differences as gifts.

A community is like a ship;Everyone ought to be preparedTo take the helm.” Henrik Ibsen

ResourcesCommunities of PracticeInteractive Workshops by Etienne Wengerwww.ewenger.com

Pomegranate Centerwww.pomegranatecenter.org

Thank you for viewingIf you have any questions contact:

Janna M. WillettPOPS PLUS Community Compactjanna.willett@popsinc.org(407) 843-1202