How to Start a Community School

The following resources and tools will help you design and implement community schools at the school-site level.  These resources are divided into several interconnected steps that will help you get started. Many of the resources in this toolkit originate from community schools initiatives around the country that have been working on developing community schools for many years.

Community Schools Overview

Here are resources that provide an overview of the community school strategy:

• What is a Community School? Learn more about community schools from our webpage, watch the new community schools video, and use the one page document to help you make the case.
• A Rationale and Results Framework for Community Schools
• Stages of Development as a Community School (Children’s Aid Society; SUN Community Schools)
• Building a Community School (Children’s Aid Society)

Starting a Community School: Tools to Guide 

The tabs above will help you navigate this toolkit.