The New York City Story
Beginning in fall 2014, 45 schools became NYC Community Schools as part of an attendance-improvement and drop-out-prevention grant in partnership with United Way NYC. There are now 267 Community Schools across every district in NYC, funded through city, state and federal dollars.
Support from All Sides
Educating a child to be successful in college and career requires a holistic approach. Community Schools help students find their passion by integrating academics, health, youth development, and family engagement.By bringing schools and partners together to create new opportunities and real results, we foster collaboration within a community.
Community Schools as Part of Mayor de Blasio's Equity Agenda
The New York City Department of Education envisions the expansion of Community Schools as a central strategy for achieving an equitable educational system. The initiative builds off of the Department of Education’s (DOE’s) Framework for Great Schools and is aligned with the administration’s various efforts focused on youth and families, coming on the heels of expanding full-day pre-kindergarten to every four-year-old and offering afterschool programs to every middle schools student.
With equity as a key driver, the administration will develop the next generation of Community Schools and establish the systems and structures to ensure they address inequality in sustainable ways. The programs and interventions provided in Community Schools are evidence-based strategies to close the achievement gap by expanding opportunities for young people. They prepare students—and families—to enter school on the right foot. By increasing student time in the classroom, as well as in the local museum, on the playing field, and in the chess club, Community Schools help prepare students to be college and career ready.