As a nationally recognized leader in the field, Wayne County Community Schools recently hosted a large delegation for educators from Kern County, Calif.
Kern County shares several similarities with Wayne County, including its primarily rural communities and large agricultural base. Both communities and schools can feel like policies and decisions are centered on the needs and circumstances of larger population centers. Linking Kern and Wayne counties help small schools learn together about how to be place-based in a world that is heavily influenced by the happenings in Los Angeles and New York City, organizers of the visit said.
Thirteen educators, administrators and community leaders from Kern spent three days in October touring Wayne County, visiting schools and communities, attending meetings and sharing ideas and best practices. The tour included visits to Sodus Elementary, Intermediate and High schools; Red Creek Jr./Sr. High School; Clyde-Savannah Elementary and Jr./Sr. High School; and the Marion Jr./Sr. High School.
During their school visits, the team was able to step into classrooms and interact with students. Additionally, the team visited the Sodus School Pantry and the Newark STEADY Work office and wood shop. In between site visits, the group attended a Wayne County Coordinating Council meeting and participated in Multi-Tiered System of Support and Community Schools round tables.
They participated in a tour of downtown Lyons, interacting with representatives of local organizations, agencies and community leaders with the support of several local businesses, such as the Lyons Main Street Program, the Ohmann Theater, Evolve, Trom’s and Imprint Coffee. They also had a chance to tour Black Creek Farms in Savannah to learn about the farm-to-school programs taking place in Wayne County. The trip closed with a de-brief session hosted in Rochester by the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes. This organizations continues to be an advocate for the community schools strategy.
This visit complemented a similar even that took place last spring when a delegation from Wayne County Community Schools took a trip to Kern County to teach and learn about implementing the Community Schools strategy across multiple districts. Funding for this trip came from the Wallace Foundation and is a result of the leadership in the Community Schools area by both Kern and Wayne Country groups.
To learn more about Wayne County Community Schools — whose goal is to link community groups and service providers with schools to help meet the needs of students — visit www.waynecountycommunityschools.org. To learn about the state wide coalition working to propel the exploration and implementation of community schools throughout New York, visit thruwaycoalition.org.
