Community Schools
Working with the entire school community to identify pressing needs and bring resources directly into schools.
About
Community Schools are a partnership between the City of Philadelphia, the School District of Philadelphia, and school communities to remove barriers to learning and support the success of each student.
The long-term goal of Community Schools is to ensure that every student graduates college-, career-, and community-ready - and that communities are healthy, safe, hopeful, and supportive.
In each Community School, a Community School Coordinator supports strategic partnerships and programs that promote wellness, stability, and learning opportunities for students, families, and neighbors.
There are currently 17 City-designated Community Schools, serving nearly 10,000 students. Community Schools are supported by the Philadelphia Beverage Tax.
What we do
Philadelphia Community Schools focus on the following core components of work:
School Climate
Examples: School events, resource fairs, and attendance supports
Authentic Family & Community Engagement
Examples: Arts and culture events, adult education classes, and parent cafés
Integrated Health & Social Services
Examples: Water and hydration campaigns, farmer’s markets and food backpack programs, and health resource fairs
Expanded Learning Time & Opportunities
Examples: Quality out-of-school time programs, youth summer employment, and career exploration
Connect
| Address |
1515 Arch St.
3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102 |
|---|---|
|
education |
|
|
Phone:
(215) 686-0333
|
Schools
Cohort 1 - 2016
Cohort 2 - 2017
Cohort 3 - 2019
Get Involved
Benefits
Community schools act as neighborhood centers. Through local partnerships, they address resource gaps and cater to their community’s specific needs.
Their programs also have a proven effect on their students’ success:
- In one of the most high-poverty areas of Los Angeles, there’s a community school where 99 percent of high school graduates go to college.
- In Cincinnati, students who received support services saw higher gains in reading and math scores than those who didn’t. Services included tutoring, college access, and after-school enrichment.
- In Austin, a pair of struggling schools went from the brink of closure to becoming two of the city’s highest-performing schools.