What's a Community School Coordinator?
The Community School Coordinator works collaboratively with the school principal and other school support staff to design, develop and/or implement Community School programming including: Family and student support services, Health services, Enrichment activities including those that occur during the school day, after school and summer , Family and community engagement activities, and Community sponsorship, partnership, and volunteer infrastructure.
Download the Toolkit
We've created a 2025 Coordinators Appreciation Week toolkit filled with resources to help you highlight the amazing Coordinators you know, as well as spread the word about the role they play in growing the Community School movement.
Take Action
Continue to reach out to your members of Congress to request that they fund Full Service Community Schools at the highest level possible. Congress needs to hear from you that the Community Schools strategy is a comprehensive approach to restructuring and reimagining our public education system so that all students can learn and thrive. Use our tools to tell help tell and share your CS story and examples of the benefits of Community Schools and send that message to your representatives now. Together, we can advance the Community School strategy, by garnering bipartisan support at the local, state, and national levels.
Welcome to CAW 2025!
Check out these headlines sharing more about the success of the Community School strategy, and the importance of the Coordinator role!
Why Community Schools Matter: Arcola Elementary
“Nearly one-third of all Maryland public schools will be identified as community schools thanks to funding from the Blueprint. But what are they and why do they matter? Well, the answer depends on the needs of each individual community. At Arcola Elementary School in Montgomery County, community school liaison Heather Hunter and her colleagues have been able to put together an amazing program that you have to see to believe.”
Watch the video from Maryland State Education Association above!
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Stewards for Students: Saluting Little Rock’s Community Schools Site Coordinators (Guest Blog Post)
“Serving as a Community Schools site coordinator is hard work. However, as Steven Young of Mabelvale Middle School remarks, it should also be considered “heart work.” From addressing food insecurity to offering free personal care like haircuts, he said it’s not always easy to confront existing barriers in schools. But, by showing respect and listening, Young has seen how Little Rock School District (LRSD) site coordinators are helping create more inclusive, welcoming environments where students of differing cultures, backgrounds and abilities can thrive.”
Read the full spotlight from Forward Arkansas (via the Coalition for Community Schools) here.
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Community School Coordinator Spotlight: Cheryl Marks
“Cheryl worked for Jive Records, TVT Records, and Sony Music Entertainment, leading their marketing teams and bringing artists’ vision to life. Throughout her career, she sat on the board of a New York-based youth development organization called Lead Through Sports.
When the record label she worked for shuttered its operations in 2016, she was encouraged by a staff member at Lead Through Sports to make youth development her full-time job. After working for a few years as a success coach and mentoring young people on their way to college, Cheryl became the community school director at Curtis High School, a Children’s Aid community school on Staten Island.”
Read the full story from Children’s Aid here.
Profile of Community School Coordinators
Learn more about the role of a Coordinator by taking a look at some of our initial findings from the Community Schools Forward Survey: https://bit.ly/countcs
Tips to help you advocate during CAW: