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Course:
VE 107 Home-School-Community Collaboration

Topic:
8. Community Partnerships and Resources

8.1. Identifying and developing partnerships with community organizations

8.2. Leveraging community resources to support student learning
8.3. Collaborative projects and initiatives

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Lecture Notes

What Is a School Community Partnership?

School community partnerships, refer to the development of a collaborative

relationship between a school and its surrounding community. These
partnerships are important for creating a supportive and nurturing environment
for students to learn and grow. They also allow schools access to resources and
expertise from the surrounding community to improve the quality of education,
school fundraising, and student well-being. It is important for school
communities to be intentional about building relationships with their local
community, including local businesses, community organizations, parents, and
other community members.

Why Do You Need Community Partnerships in Your School?

School community partnerships are important for creating a supportive learning

environment that promotes student learning and success. These partnerships
provide access to a wealth of resources, expertise, and support that can help
schools support the needs of their students and families. A connected school
community allows for a more comprehensive approach to education that
supports students’ academic, social, and emotional development and increases
parental involvement leading to improved attendance, academic performance,
and overall well-being. Community partnerships are essential for creating
effective schools that meet the needs of students, teachers, and the broader
community.

Benefits of Community Partnership in Schools

Supporting Student Learning

Community partners can provide more opportunities for students to learn
beyond the classroom. Local businesses and organizations often will offer
internships, mentorships, and work-study programs to local schools which give
students real-world experiences that enhance their learning.
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Access to Resource
These partnerships give schools resources that might be otherwise unavailable.
This may include access to equipment, funding, and volunteers for events or
extra assistance.

Increased Parental Involvement

Schools that have strong community partnerships nurture higher levels of
parental engagement. When a student’s parents are actively involved in their
education, the well-being and learning of that student often improve as a result.

Building Significant Relationship

School community partnerships help build relationships between the school, its
students, and the surrounding community. This fosters a sense of belonging,
which can help reduce isolation and improve the well-being of students and
teachers.

Community Engagement
When schools and communities work together, it creates a two-way dialogue
promoting understanding and respect. Community members become up to date
with the success of nearby schools/students and are more likely to engage in
activities that support the interest of these local schools.

You’ve most likely heard the proverb “it takes a village to raise a child.” We
could also say that “it takes a community to raise a school.”

8.1 Identifying and developing partnerships with community organizations

Audit your community resources and identify opportunities to partner

● Within your school district, research—or have a member of your staff

research—all of the local businesses, nonprofit and social service
organizations, neighborhood associations, after-school programs,
government entities, and libraries that are located in your district.
● Separately, begin to identify the needs that exist in your school, whether
it’s something that you’d like to offer as part of your curriculum that can’t
be offered currently or a service you’d like to provide your students and
families.
● After you conduct these two audits, see where there might be connections
to fuel student success.

Take a “community walk”

● Once you’ve done your research, take the time to create authentic bonds
with the organizations and businesses you’ve identified as high-priority
partners by meeting them in person.
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● When you and your team meet with these organizations, be sure to share
your vision for what a school community partnership might look like
between them and your school.
● Engage in conversation around what their thoughts are, whether they’ve
embarked on similar initiatives before, and what they’re looking for in a
school partner.
● Ask them for their honest thoughts on how the school can better
contribute to the community.

Define a shared vision for the partnership

● Just as your school has a shared vision for moving toward a mutual goal,
any partnership you embark on with a community organization should
align with their mission—and yours, too.

Start small, then expand

Start with a test partnership. Maybe your vision is a large after-school program
where you partner with several community organizations to offer options for your
students based on their interests. Try a scaled-down version with two to begin.

Evaluate and communicate partnership progress and challenges

As you lock in your partnerships, make sure you’re also weaving in consistent
opportunities for evaluation of the partnership’s effectiveness. You’ve chosen
these partners because of their fit with the current needs of your school,
teachers, staff, and families—and an evaluation process is important to make
sure the assumed fit is the right one.

Similarly, work with your community partners to create a mutual

communication plan to share progress, successes, and challenges. Doing this
will not only create awareness and transparency among your school community,
but it can also serve as a blueprint for how to ensure success for future
partnerships.

Schools don’t need to educate alone

While a school is certainly responsible for a large portion of your student

learning, schools and districts can’t, and shouldn’t, operate in isolation. The
people and organizations in your local communities have plenty of experience
and expertise—and tapping into this expertise can have reciprocal benefits for
your school, students, and community for years to come.

8.2 Leveraging community resources to support student learning

Knowing the value community resources have on education is one thing; utilizing
them effectively is another. Parents, educators, and community leaders can
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collaborate to integrate these resources into formal and informal learning plans.
Here’s how:

Organize field trips and outings

Field trips to local museums, historic sites, and science centers can reinforce
classroom lessons and give children a broader perspective on what they have
learned. Such outings make abstract concepts tangible, and the excitement of
being ‘on location’ can lead to a deeper understanding and retention of
knowledge.

Partner with local libraries

Schools can partner with libraries to provide students with supplemental reading
material, research assistance, and access to educational programs. Libraries
often have librarians and staff who can guide students in their learning journeys,
helping them to cultivate research skills and a love for reading.

Engage in community science and art projects

Community projects such as community gardens, science fairs, and art
installations offer practical experiences that can be both educational and
community-building. Participation in such projects helps students apply what
they’ve learned in real-world settings and fosters a sense of community
involvement and responsibility.

The impact of an enriched learning environment

An enriched learning environment, bolstered by community resources, can have
a profound effect on a child’s educational journey.

Enhanced engagement and motivation

When learning is interactive and contextualized within real-world settings,
students are more likely to be engaged and motivated.

Improved academic achievement

Research has shown that students who have access to a variety of learning
resources and experiences tend to perform better academically.

Greater equity in education

Community resources are generally accessible to the public, providing
opportunities for all children, regardless of their background or socioeconomic
status, to have enriching educational experiences. This can help level the playing
field and promote educational equity.
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8.3. Collaborative projects and initiatives

Here are some examples of collaborative projects and initiatives between

schools and communities in the Philippines:

Brigada Eskwela: A nationwide program that engages the community to

contribute their time, resources, and efforts to ensure that public schools are
ready for the start of the school year.

School-to-Work Programs: help students transition from high school to the

workforce by connecting students with employers and other organizations.

Drug abuse prevention programs: These programs aim to prevent or reduce

children's use of various substances, including legal ones like alcohol and
tobacco, as well as illegal drugs such as cocaine and marijuana.

After-school centers: also known as Out-of-School Time (OST) programs, offer

a variety of activities for children and youth after school hours. These programs
can include academic support, mentoring, sports, arts, recreation, and more.

Parental involvement programs: are activities that schools organize to increase

parental engagement in their children's education. These programs can help
create a supportive learning environment at home.

School Partners of Dela Paz National High School

● Campus Wakers Movement - Values Formation (Grade 10)

● Antipolo City Government Health Unit
Libreng Bakuna (Grade 7 Students)
Mental Health Unit Symposium
● DICT’s free WIFI for all
● Brgy. Dela Paz
● St. John’s Wort

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References
✔ At least 3 sources
✔ APA Format
✔ https://skoolloop.com/news-items/the-benefits-of-school-community-
partnerships/
Skool Loop. (n.d.). The benefits of school community partnerships.
✔ https://www.newleaders.org/blog/school-community-engagement-5-
steps-to-creating-impactful-partnerships
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New Leaders. (2022, August 23). School-community engagement: 5 steps

to creating impactful partnerships.
✔ https://teachers.institute/learning-learner-development/enhancing-
learning-community-resources/
Teachers Institute. (n.d.). Leveraging Community Resources for Enhancing Learning.