What is a Community School?

A Community School’s priority is to focus on the needs of their community. In partnership with school staff members, students, their families and the community they are a part of a Community School works to identify how to best support student success and meet their communities needs.

They are designed to ensure that their community of students are equipped with a safe space to learn and have access to the proper services and resources to have a successful learning experience.

Enroll for Free

As stated by The California Community Schools Framework:

A community school is any school serving pre-kindergarten through high school students using a 'whole-child' approach, with 'an integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement.' As a school improvement strategy, community school initiatives enable the local educational agency and school to work closely with educators, students, and families to understand and address the unique needs, assets, and aspirations of the school community. Community schools then design their own curricula and programs to support the whole child and partner with community-based organizations and local government agencies to align community resources to realize a shared vision for success. They improve student outcomes by addressing students’ academic, cognitive, physical, mental, and social-emotional needs. In addition to orchestrating governmental and community resources, community schools meet the needs of children and youth by building a positive school climate and trusting relationships, along with rich learning opportunities that prepare all students to succeed in college, career, and life.”

The Four Pillar Approach

A Community School follows a four pillar research supported approach. They work to Integrate Student Support, Expand and Enrich Learning, Engage Families and Communities and Lead in Collaboration.

Integrated Student Supports

Medical, dental, and mental health care services
Tutoring and other academic supports
Resources for families , such as parent education classes, job training and placement services, housing assistance, and nutrition programs

Expanded Learning Time Opportunities

Internships and job shadowing
STEM programs ( science, technology, engineering, and math)
Arts and leadership programs

Active Family & Community Engagement

Parent-teacher home visits and Back to School Nights
Movie nights
Volunteer opportunities- Red Cross blood drive
Multicultural month

Collaborative Leadership & Practice

All advisory councils- S.S.C., P.A.C., D.E.L.A.C. and A.S.B.
Professional development conferences, PLC’s and workshops
Shared vision and collaborative goal-setting

What that looks like at our schools

Integrated Student Supports

Surveys, data and gap analysis
Resource mapping
Leadership, and academic workshops/ conferences
Job training and placement services
S-TAC and R- TAC
Outsourcing consultants and contractors

Expanded Learning Time Opportunities

Leadership programs
Internships and apprenticeship programs
Job shadowing
Community Volunteer work
Summer school/programs
Field trips

Active Family & Community Engagement

Family events
Volunteer opportunities
Multicultural Month
Back to School Nights and Open House
Career Days
Networking events
Other monthly themed events

Collaborative Leadership & Practice

Monthly meetings with community partners
Meetings with parents and students
Weekly meetings with admin and site staff
DELAC
A.S.B.
P.A.C.
C.A.S.C.

While these four acts are the base of a community school and help with their overall success the approach alone does not reflect community schools as a whole. Every Community School is different because each community is different. Community schools focus on becoming experts in their community and finetune each piece and ensure their student community is set up for success.

Meet our Community Schools community

Our participating SIATech School sites are El Centro, Indio, Downtown LA, and East LA locations. Our SIATech Community Schools Coordinators are Jose Martinez and Terrence Thomas. They are dedicated to being experts on the communities they serve and strive to meet the needs of students to better improve their academic journey.

Activities and Events

Our Community Schools team is always hosting fun and educational events and activities for students. See below for more information on upcoming events.