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This toolkit is designed to equip community school practitioners and partners in Idaho with the resources they need to secure funding, engage local support, and share their impact. Inside, you’ll find guidance on grant writing, leveraging partnerships, navigating federal funding opportunities, and advocating for your community school through storytelling and site visits. Additionally, real-life experts showcase how Idaho schools have successfully sustained and expanded their community school efforts during a recorded panel discussion.

This guide is a resource for understanding, implementing, and thriving as a community school in New York State. It emphasizes how community schools use strategies like Multi-Tiered System of Supports lntegrated (MTSS-1), culturally responsive-sustaining education practices (CRSE), and social emotional learning (SEL) to ensure every student thrives in a supportive and inclusive environment. By leveraging collaborative leadership structures, stakeholders collaboratively drive the work to align with the diverse needs of their communities. Whether you're just beginning to explore community schools or are seeking to strengthen your existing strategy, you'll find valuable information and practical resources in this guide.

The March for Children and Youth Month Playbook is designed to provide simple steps to advocate for Community Schools as a vehicle to address inequities children face every day!

Building a Community Schools System is written for diverse audiences engaged in Community School efforts, from planning to integration of the Community Schools strategy in their community and/or district to existing systems of schools looking to further sustain, deepen, and expand this strategy.

The Stages of Development serve as a guide for states as they build or scale their state coalitions for Community Schools. The four stages are: EXPLORING There is talk of developing a coalition, but only informal communications or plans have been made. Someone convenes a group of people to move the plans forward. EMERGING Commitment to developing a coalition by actively convening partners and putting in place a governance structure with initial goals and benchmarks outlined. EVOLVING There is an official coalition in place, a wide range of partners are involved, regular communications to local practitioners, and a leadership team and professional learning convenings occurring. EXPANDING The coalition has added key committees, is regularly tracking impact and stories, and is widening sphere of influence through new partnerships, expanded public communications, and ongoing capacity building.

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.