CREATING LASTING CHANGE TOGETHER
Our theory of change is the community schools strategy, steered by the United Partnership Council and supported by collaborative efforts that create impactful interventions to address gaps and create solutions to address our communities' most pressing needs.
Collective Impact aims to:
- Improve educational outcomes for students
- Break the cycle of intergenerational poverty
- Increase partner collaboration to create system-level change for long-term impact.
We use the community schools strategy to achieve these three goals.
Community Schools Strategy
Community Schools is not a noun, it's a verb.
It's not a place, it's us, together, and the resources we build and the paths we pave together.
Community Schools Forward was developed by the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, the Children’s Aid National Center for Community Schools, the Coalition for Community Schools at the Institute for Educational Leadership, and the Learning Policy Institute as part of the #CSForward project. Read the whole framework here.
The Community Schools strategy transforms a school into a place where educators, local community members, families, and students work together to strengthen conditions for student learning and healthy development. They make positive, impactful changes by:
Building strong, trusting relationships (support)
Engaging in inclusive decision-making (activities)
Creating a thriving community (resources)
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United Partnership Council
The United Partnership Council exists to convene a cross-sector group of organizations to create lasting change by steering the Community School strategy in Northern Utah. By working together, the United Partnership Council can magnify the efforts of many concerned citizens and organizations working to improve the living conditions of our individuals, families, and neighborhoods.
The council includes representatives from Ogden School District, Weber School District, Ogden-Weber Technical College, Ogden-Weber Community Action Partnership, Ogden City, Weber State University, America First Credit Union, Weber-Morgan Health Department, Weber Human Services, United Way of Northern Utah, and more.
Impact Areas
A collection of partner-led initiatives and programs who work together with the United Partnership Council to implement the Community Schools strategy. View their work below.
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The Education and Career Pathways initiative focuses on secondary success and college and career readiness by convening partners to refine and create process that ensure every high school student has opportunities to develop skills that allow them to excel in high school, college, and their chosen careers.
This initiative fits into many categories of the Community Schools strategy, including:
- Collaborative leadership, shared power and voice
- Rigorous community-connected classroom instruction
- Expanded, enriched learning opportunities
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A main goal of the Student Success Program is to support students in gaining confidence and engaging in learning. SSP wants to instill in every student that there's a purpose and place for them AFTER school, and everyone's "after" path looks different. With one-on-one-support, AmeriCorps members and students work together to set goals that reflect the child's wants and needs, both during and after K-12.
This program fits into many categories of the Community Schools strategy, including:
- Integrated systems of support
- Culture of belonging, safety, care
- Powerful student and family engagement
Learn more about the Student Success Program Here.
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211 is the most comprehensive source of information about local resources and services in the country. It supports the community schools strategy by connecting families and students to basic needs. When children have access to these basic needs, it lessens stress outside of schools and allows them to focus on their studies and future goals.
211 fits into many categories of the Community Schools strategy, including:
- Integrated systems of support
- Culture of belonging, safety, and care
- Collaborative leadership, shared power and voice
Learn about UWNU's work with 211 here.
Visit 211-Utah's main site here.
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The Early Childhood Network is a partnership between community members who work with children and their families ages 0-5. This group works together to find areas where the community can work better together to prepare children to be social-emotionally ready to engage with others and developmentally ready to learn when they enter Kindergarten.
This network fits into many categories of the Community Schools strategy, including:
- Expanded, enriched learning opportunities
- Culture of belonging, safety, and care
- Powerful student (child) and family engagement
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Reading & Math Impact is fueled by intervention experts, school district specialists, and afterschool partners who meet regularly in working groups to address key drivers of reading and math proficiency for K-8 students. They implement varied, innovative, and research informed practices to improve 3rd and 8th grade reading and math outcomes during in- and out-of-school time. Regular volunteers from the community, Weber State University, and high schools are a key function to scale effective programming to reach more students.
These aligned efforts fit into many categories of the Community Schools strategy, including:
- Expanded, enriched learning opportunities
- Powerful student and family engagement
- Rigorous, community-connected classroom instruction
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The Community Literacy program focuses on bettering reading in the Ogden community through the Little Neighborhood Libraries and various literacy interventions.
This program fits into many categories of the Community Schools strategy, including:
- Expanded, enriched learning opportunities
- Powerful student and family engagement
- Culture of belonging, safety, and care
Learn more about the Little Neighborhood Libraries Here
