October 2022 – C/W CSTAC Community School Spotlight:

The Greece Central Schools Community Schools Team

True North:
Navigating Community Support

A spotlight on Greece Central Schools

The Greece Central Schools are proud to be in their fifth year of Community Schools implementation. The district, along with its lead agency, the Center for Youth Services, is committed to creating equitable outcomes by building deep connections and strategic community partnerships so that students are healthy and successful, families are strong, and the community can thrive. They focus on expanded learning opportunities, integrated health and social services, family and community engagement, and early childhood development.

This year, the Community Schools Team is proud to open the doors of its Neighborhood Navigation Center. This Center—part of the larger TogetherNow initiative—will be a place for students and their families to go when they need help connecting to support and services within the community. Greece Central Schools is one of a limited number of sites working with United Way to pilot the MyWayfinder service, which connects families with community organizations that can meet their needs. At the Center, Community Schools Advocates will be there to help families set up MyWayFinder accounts. The Neighborhood Navigation Center had a soft opening in July and has already seen many families!

This month, the district also co-sponsored a Community Schools Roundtable with the CSTAC of Central and Western New York. Participants included members from Batavia School District, Rochester City School District, the Center for Youth Services, and Peaceful Schools. The group shared best practices and points of pride in their work. These included collaborative leadership practices, family engagement events, and partnership agreements. They look forward to hosting additional roundtable events throughout the year.

Stay tuned for more details!