The University of Pennsylvania began a partnership with Sayre High School in West Philadelphia in 1996 that has grown to include numerous community services, such as nutrition, education and exercise programs for families, career and college preparation programs for the high school students and even a health center that serves the entire community. This video describes how University-Assisted Community Schools worked for one of the first schools in the country to embrace this concept, and was produced in-house in collaboration with the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at UPENN. Click here to view the video.

The Coalition for Community Schools believes that strong communities require strong schools and strong schools require strong communities. We envision a future in which schools are centers of thriving communities where everyone belongs, works together, and succeeds.

The Coalition advances opportunities for the success of children, families and communities by promoting the development of more, and more effective, community schools.

Coalition for Community Schools is housed at the Institute for Educational Leadership. Website: www.iel.org