Broad
Base of Community Involvement
Communities offer a wide range of resources that are valuable to schools and the families they serve. These resources include people who volunteer their time in the school, organizations that offer enrichment opportunities, businesses that offer career-related information and workplace experiences, and agencies that provide various social services for students and families. "Communities too are rich in untapped resources that can benefit children. When families and community members volunteer their time and talent in the schools, both schools and students increase their capacity to do more and to do it better," note DeKanter, Ginsburg, Pederson, Peterson, and Rich (1997).
Schools that are committed to developing students' critical thinking skills and real-world applications of knowledge as well as providing necessary services and enrichment activities need to forge new relationships with the community to improve student learning. Shields (1994) notes:
"Such steps increase the opportunity for community members to become acquainted with the schools as well as for school staff to know the community better. At the same time, by structuring schools to meet the broader needs of the students' families through the provision of noneducational services, teachers and administrators are opening their doors to the broader community and explicitly expressing their desire to help community members. Thus, restructuring in these ways can both bring the school to the community and attract the community to the school."
Because the relationship is reciprocal, the school also can become a resource for families and community members. "Community meetings, adult education, local theatrical productions, health screening, candidate nights, physical fitness classes--all are legitimate uses of school facilities, and all contribute to the well-being of the community, notes Henderson (1990). She adds, "Schools that provide their communities a variety of services enjoy a deservedly better reputation. They also are much more likely to have bond issues approved." Decker and Boo (1996) suggest that traditional schools can become community schools by extending their hours of operation and by providing vital programs and services for the local community.
For further information on school-community collaboration, refer to the following sources:
