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What Are Community Resources
Community resources are defined as anything that provides assistance or services to members within a community (What are community resources, n.d., para. 2). Community resources help play a role in addressing the many needs of people in the community and improving the quality of life (Marty-Jimenez, 2018, para.2). For example, community resource centers can provide important information to families on topics such as health and nutrition, food safety, disaster preparedness, saving money at the grocery store, and even things such as gardening and community development (Marty-Jimenez, 2018, para.4)
The Importance of Community Resources in Schools
In schools, community resources can also contribute to the academic lives of students by enriching student learning through connecting classroom lessons to real-world applications (Bordia, 2022, para. 3). Experiential learning can help enhance student understanding and can prepare them for their futures (Bordia, 2022, para. 3). Teaching students about community resources at a young age is important, because it can help teach them to appreciate the various kinds of built-in support there is around them. These conversations are also very important because they will help students learn to appreciate the various parts of their community that are there to help them (What are community resources, n.d., para. 13). This kind of early exposure is crucial because they can help children become aware of the resources available to them at a young age, so if they need to utilize them as they grow older, they know what they can look for within their communities.
Community Resources Supporting the Whole Child
When schools partner with community organizations, students gain access to additional resources and services that can enrich their educational experiences. This can help with both academic growth, as well as social development (Little, n.d., para. 1). Community resources can therefore, create a learning environment that supports the whole student.
Community Resources and Family Partnerships
Along with community resources assisting individual student growth, they can also help strengthen school and family partnerships. Sara McAlister, a research associate at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, discusses the ways in which a community schools model can have positive impacts within the school. She states, “the community schools model, which brings together wraparound services and a range of arts, music, academic, cultural, and other programming for students and parents during and beyond the school day, has improved family engagement and increased student well-being and achievement” (McAlister, 2013, p.3). Therefore, utilizing the resources from communities can benefit schools by creating a more family-oriented environment.
McAlister later states, “schools that have partnered with community organizing groups to train parents in organizing and advocacy skills, devise strategies for broadening family and community engagement, and develop teams of parents and teachers to lead school improvement activities have seen improvements in school climate, social capital, teacher parent ties, and teacher professional capacity, as well as growth in student performance” (McAlister, 2013, p.3). This demonstrates the positive impact that community resources can have on family-school partnerships, by increasing the amount of family engagement within schools.
Examples of Some Community Resources Available
Programs that work to help feed children in need are one important way that the community can provide resources to assist students (Croteau, 2011, para. 2). Some of the most well-known programs that work to tackle this growing issue are “Feeding America,” and “No Kid Hungry,” which both work to provide students with healthy meals and prevent hunger in the school community (Croteau, 2011, paras. 2 & 5). There are also community resources available that help provide students with the materials they need to be successful in school. Some of these programs include, “DonorsChoose,” and “Operation Backpack,” which are both large-scale organizations that work with different school communities to provide students with backpacks and school supplies (Croteau, 2011, paras. 7-8). There are also other forms of community resources such as, “The Boys & Girls Club of America,” which provides afterschool care for families, as well as mentors students to help them become successful in school (Croteau, 2011, para. 9).
References
Bordia, D. (2022, August 4). Importance of community resources in Education. Blogs on Education Industry. https://blog.teachmint.com/importance-of-community-resources-in-education/#:~:text=Using%20community%20resources%20in%20teaching%20can%20enrich%20the,the%20functioning%20of%20different%20institutions%20in%20the%20community.
Croteau, J. (2021, May 11). 11 organizations that support students in need. We Are Teachers. https://www.weareteachers.com/support-students-in-need/#google_vignette
Little, P. (n.d.). School-Community Learning Partnerships: Essential to expanded learning success. Expanded Learning . https://www.expandinglearning.org/expandingminds/article/school-community-learning-partnerships-essential-expanded-learning-success
Marty-Jimenez, B. (2018, August 13). Community resources: Why use community resources?. UF/IFAS Extension Broward County. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2018/08/13/community-resources-why-use-community-resources/
McAlister, S. (2013). Why community engagement matters in school turnaround. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1046328.pdf
What are community resources. Twinkl.com. (n.d.). https://www.twinkl.com/teaching-wiki/community-resources
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