You have the power to start the process to create a new community school. You won't be able to do it alone -- and it won't happen overnight -- but by learning more and sharing what you learn with PTA members, friends and neighbors, school officials, local elected officials and business leaders, you can set the wheels in motion

1. Speak with the principal, the district superintendent and especially local school board members to express interest in the idea of community schools and to find out if there are plans to extend the hours and services of the school.

2. Ask other parents if they are interested in having your school become a community school. It's best to start with parents you know, and then ask them to speak with other parents they know.

3. Meet with the head of your local PTA to learn of any plans to begin changing your school into a community school. Offer to help the PTA leadership by enlisting other parents in the work.

4. Call more parents in the school -- with the help of the PTA if possible, to assess needs and determine interest in changing your school into a community school.

5. Call your local United Way and/or other human resources coordinating body to learn about available child and family services in your area. This will help you document both local needs and possible resources to address those needs.

6. Ask your local Boys & Girls Club or other youth-serving agency if it would be interested in being a partner in your school.

7. Write a letter to all the parents in your child's school, explaining the results of your research.

8. Revisit the school's principal to describe the growing interest in community schools and to explore the possibility of raising these issues with your district superintendent.

9. Organize a group of interested parents and community leaders to visit a community school in a nearby area.

10. Explore local, state and national source of funds that may be available to support the extended services of community schools. Meet with your mayor and/or other local government officials to inform them of your work and explore resources that may be available. Investigate possibilities, such as your local United Way and the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. See our Resources section for access to information on the web.

Keep your eye on the prize -- a better education for your child and for other children in your community. Being an engaged and effective parent takes persistence and hard work. As other parents have learned, the process of transforming a regular school into a community school is a gradual one but it's do-able and worth doing.

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