Why Community Partnerships Matter: A Blueprint for Better Together With Community Schools
In 2024, we received a five-year California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) grant. This honor enabled us to bring our vision of community schools to life. The program formalizes our commitment to state officials and the communities we serve, reflecting our shared belief that when students, families, educators, and community partners collaborate, we can transform schools into vibrant centers of learning, support, and opportunity.
Why Now? What the Evidence Shows
Momentum for community schools is growing—not just in our network, but across California. On September 16, 2025, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond celebrated a new study from the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) that showed the strong, positive impact of California’s community schools initiative.
The study highlights how the community schools strategy builds deep partnerships between public schools and community organizations to provide critical resources—such as mental health services, academic supports, and family outreach—that engage families and serve the whole child.
Superintendent Thurmond noted:
“The community schools strategy is about creating partnerships across schools, families, and the community so that every child in our state has a village of support. With this new research, we now have data to support what we know to be true: When our children have the supports that they need to be present and healthy at school, they can learn, grow, and thrive.”
This echoes earlier research that found:
30% greater reductions in chronic absenteeism compared to matched schools, representing 5,000+ more students attending regularly in Year 1.
15% fewer suspensions, particularly in secondary schools, leading to an improved climate and sense of belonging.
Meaningful gains in math and ELA, equating to 36–43 extra days of learning in just one year.
These findings affirm that California’s investment in community schools is working and that our efforts at Ednovate are part of a statewide movement with transformative results.
Our Vision and Approach
As we move into year two of the CCSPP grant, we are committed to going deeper—strengthening our practices, deepening our partnerships, and building on the foundation we’ve set to create lasting impact for our students and families. Our focus will be on what works: aligning efforts across schools and scaling the strategies that address the most urgent needs with clarity and purpose.
Stronger Together: Family & Community Engagement
One of the most important pillars of the CCSPP framework is family and community engagement. This is not an “extra” piece of our work—it is central to supporting the whole child.
The framework calls us to create spaces that are relationship-centered and racially just, where every family feels a sense of trust, belonging, and equity. It reminds us to share power by practicing true collaboration and democratic decision-making. It encourages us to connect the classroom to the community through culturally responsive, real-world learning. It challenges us to continually improve by utilizing reflection, data, and equity-driven strategies.
Our Community School Coordinators bring this vision to life every day. Their leadership ensures that engagement is authentic, not transactional, and that families and community allies see themselves as full partners in decisions that impact our students’ growth and success.
Results We’re Proud Of — Together
We are already seeing the power of collective work in action.
Responsive Support to Emerging Needs: Over the summer, our schools hosted food pantries that served over 100 families in need. Parents also stepped up to support each other—bringing donations, sharing resources, and helping ensure that families facing the greatest challenges had what they needed.
Deepening Community Partnerships: At orientation, families engaged with multiple community partners, accessing valuable resources and strengthening their pride in the community. Coordinators are now representing our schools at Community Safety Committees and Neighborhood Council meetings, ensuring schools remain aligned with community priorities.
Family Engagement in Action: Our workshops, open house events, and Coffee With the Principal gatherings were met with enthusiasm. Families described them as “helpful, organized, and informative.” One parent said, "I can’t wait for the next Cafecito!" while another added, “The energy was so positive—it made me feel connected and welcomed.”
And as David Solis, one of our Community School Coordinators, shared:
“As a coordinator, I’m reminded daily that this work is about more than just programs or events. It’s about building trust with families, creating opportunities that prepare students for college, career, and life, partnering with organizations to bring vital resources onto campus, and centering equity, belonging, and voice in everything we do.”
These examples are proof that trust and partnership are growing.
A Personal Reflection
As Director of Community Schools, this work is deeply personal to me. I came to the United States from Peru at the age of six. I was just a young girl learning a new country, a new language, and a new way of life. Very quickly, I became a resource for my family as we navigated unfamiliar systems together. My parents became small business owners, and through their journey, I learned what it meant to support others, to listen closely, and to build meaningful relationships.
In our family business, I discovered that customer service was never just a transaction. It was about making people feel welcome. It was about building trust. The success of that business was rooted in creating a sense of belonging for every person who walked through our doors.
Today, I carry those same lessons into my work with families at Ednovate. I see our families as my own. I understand the courage it takes to ask for help, the pride that comes with providing for your children, and the hope that lives in every parent’s dream for their child’s future. My role is to ensure that those dreams are met with support, partnership, and opportunity.
Better Together
The evidence is clear: community schools work. Research, practice, and lived experience all tell us the same story—when schools, families, and communities come together, students thrive.
At Ednovate, we are proud to be part of this movement. Our work to create true community hubs began well before the community schools initiative, and it is now being strengthened and expanded. In partnership with our families and communities, we are creating schools where every student feels supported, every family has a voice, and every community sees itself reflected in its schools.
Together, we are building a blueprint for Better Together.
