South Chicago Community School
at Sullivan
Community Schooling
A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships
between the school and other community resources.
Its integrated focus on academics, services, supports and opportunities leads
to improved student learning, stronger, families and healthier communities. The school becomes the center of the
community, open to everyone beyond traditional school hours.
Using the school building as a hub, a community school brings together many
partners to offer a range of opportunities for children, families and communities. The partners work to achieve these results:
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Children are ready to learn when they enter school and
every day thereafter;
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All students learn and achieve to high standards;
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Young people are well prepared for adult roles in the
workplace, as parents and as citizens;
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Families and neighborhoods are safe, supportive and engaged;
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Parents and community members are involved with the school
and their own life-long learning.
History
Metropolitan Family Services and the Southeast Chicago
Development Commission have partnered with New Sullivan since August 1999 to create
a community school. For the first 2
½ years, the organizations worked closely with the school to seek funding for the
initiative while many community partners, parents and school staff helped design
the community school. In 2002, two
key new funders committed their support, and programming began in July 2003. Since that time, a Resource Coordinator
employed by Metropolitan Family Services has led the program.
Many new resources have been brought into the school because of the community
school partnership.
Activities
The community school has brought many fun and interesting
new opportunities for students, parents and community members.
Some of the programs that have been a part of the community school include:
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After school activities, including academics and recreation,
serving 350 students per year;
Activities have
included math and reading, sports, computers, sewing, art, drama, book clubs, board
games, self-esteem, teen awareness, boy and girl scouts, homework help, tutoring
and other programs
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ESL and GED Classes serving at least 40 adults;
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Parent and family programs such as FAST, Raising a Thinking
Child, Salsa Sabor y Salud, Flame;
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Summer programming, including academics and recreation
serving 125 students;
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SUCCESS Nights held quarterly with 100-250 people participating.
Budget
Supporting a community school costs hundreds of thousands
of dollars per year. Most of these
funds are spent to pay for staff who lead the programs.
Programs and funding come from a variety of outside partners.
The following budget show some of the programs that would not be available
if Sullivan were not a community school:
- Chicago Campaign to Expand Community Schools $50,000
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- 21st Century (Metropolitan Family Services) $107,000
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- McDougal Family Foundation (Metropolitan) $60,000
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- Metropolitan private fundraising $3,125
|
- Read Program (SCDCom/LISC) $30,000
|
- Tutoring Program (WITS) In-kind ~$40,000
|
- ESL (Olive-Harvey College) In-kind ~$8,500
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- GED (Literacy Chicago) In-kind ~$7,500
|
- Girls in the Game In-kind ~ $5,000
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- Classroom coaching (Metropolitan) In-kind ~$10,000
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- ISU Peace Corps Fellow (SCDCom) In-kind ~$7,500
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- Chicago Family Health Center In-kind ~$15,000
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TOTAL $375,625 |