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The following suggestions offer different actions you and your organization can take to have your voice heard about the impact of Community Schools. They range from educational to advocacy to lobbying that can be used at the local, state, and/or federal levels. Even if your representative is not on a decision-making committee, they still have a vote, and every vote counts! It is up to your discretion to decide what action(s) are best for you and your organization.

To make the process of reaching out to your members of Congress as easy as possible, we’ve provided two templates, one for a phone call and one for an email message, to use when you contact them. We encourage you to personalize the message so that they know how these federal dollars have made a difference in the lives of your students.

The 2025 state-level legislative season is coming to a close, and there are emerging trends that impact Community Schools, family engagement, and related whole-child and youth development strategies. Over 60% of governors are promoting two or more education priorities, namely, workforce alignment and career and technical education (CTE), education funding alternatives, school choice, and cell phone bans. This brief overviews these trends.

The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes the critical role community schools play in providing comprehensive services to students that promote their academic achievement and overall well-being. In the most recent bipartisan funding bill, the President secured $150 million for the Full-Service Community Schools program. This means the program is twice as large as last year and five times as large as when President Biden came into office. This toolkit is designed primarily to help community school leaders, coordinators, advocates, and other stakeholders understand the current scope of federal funding that can be used to support community schools. This toolkit identifies federal resources that can support one or more of the four pillars of an evidence-based community school and bolster community schools’ success: 1) integrated student supports; 2) active family and community engagement; 3) expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities; and 4) collaborative leadership practices.

This report has three objectives:​ 1) To create greater awareness of youth (ages 12-25) experiences throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.​ 2) To highlight clear recommendations and examples of how different communities have been able to address and meet the needs of youth​. 3) To provide a clear process to develop and implement empowering youth engagement strategies.

Learn all about the basics of what a Community School is.

This Guide is helpful for anyone engaged in a place-based strategy including community schools, Promise Neighborhoods, Choice Neighborhoods, and other cradle-to-career efforts.