STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION
The Community School strategy comes to life through the voices of those on the ground who are doing the work while being transformed by the work. Stories have always been powerful educational tools. They simplify complex ideas, making them easier to understand and remember. Throughout our history storytelling has been leveraged to pass on wisdom, history, and knowledge and to motivate change. Community school stories capture the complexities of changing educational systems to fully serve our children and youth and show us what is possible. Each story showcases the impact of community schooling on individual students, teachers, families-caregivers, and community partners that results from robust collaboration and collective dream-making. The stories captured in this space speak to the power of transformation that comes when we all invest in our public schools as the central pillar of our democracy.
Share your own stories and stay tuned as more stories are added here!
Stories from the S-TAC
The S-TAC has compiled a series of short accounts that highlight how community schools respond to and adapt to the assets and needs of a community. Embedded in the stories are practical approaches to designing, developing, and adopting the community schools approach to education.
R-TAC Convening
Empower Summit
Stories from California Community Schools
Review stories from community schools across the state of California! Stories have the power to unite people and our goal is that these shared narratives of transformation create a sense of community and belonging across our state that continuously fuels our commitment to sustaining schools that serve the whole child and the whole community.
Stories from CCSPP Community School Fellows
Storytelling helps individuals relate to one another by sharing common experiences and learning. California’s Community School Fellows represent our community school griots, the voices of the transformational impact of the Community Schools strategy across our state. As part of our Deep Dive Transformation Partnership work, the Fellows have themselves participated in a rich storytelling learning arc that has prepared them to uplift the inspirational work happening in their communities. Their accounts capture the rich journeys of communities seeking to center the voices of students, families/caregivers, educators, and community partners. Enjoy!
Anaheim Unified High School District
For over ten years, Anaheim Union has embarked upon a journey of coherence and improvement to create and sustain powerful spaces for teaching and learning for all their youth. Their CS Fellows share how their community schools approach enriches their ongoing transformational work.
Shasta County Office of Education
Our Shasta Community School Fellows represent an extensive geographic area in the northern most part of our state. Covering 15 counties and 24 school districts, the rural experience of these Fellows illuminates the innovative practices that make this consortium a leader in the implementation of the Community School strategy.
West Contra Costa Unified School District
At the center of their community schools work, West Contra Costa has created transformational collaborative spaces that elevate the contributions and knowledge of their families and students. Through the Community Schools strategy, WCCUSD has created networks that leverage cities and community-based partners to serve the needs of students in a holistic manner.
Stories from Across the Nation
Community schools stories from the national context offer us the opportunity to explore a fuller spectrum of community schooling experiences across the nation. These stories invite us to connect to our colleagues, from North Carolina to Ohio, New Mexico to Florida and beyond. The invitation to connect with school communities beyond our state will augment our sense of community and belonging in this movement fostering cooperation, empathy, and a sense of responsibility towards one another.
Share Your Own Stories of Transformation
Use the padlet to share your story of transformation with grantees from across the state! You can expand the Padlet by clicking the arrow in the upper-hand corner or open the full Padlet at this link.
