Welcoming Schools, Welcoming Community

I am frequently asked by my friends and family as well as people I meet to explain the work of United Way.   I often respond that a key component of United Way's work is our community partnerships-- we know we can't improve communities on our own. It is only by working together that we change the conditions that help people achieve financial stability, success in school and better health. 

To that end, as part of our Boost! initiative, United Way recently partnered with the CT Parent Information and Resource Center to hold a "Welcoming Schools Training" half-day workshop at the Barnard Nature Center in New Haven. Boost! is a collaboration between United Way of Greater New Haven, the City of New Haven and New Haven Public Schools to improve access and quality of wraparound services to support children's overall development and success. 

Expecting to see familiar faces, I was pleased to see a new and diverse group of stakeholders come together to discuss the “family friendliness “of schools in New Haven. The group of 40 included parents (and one grandparent!) as well as classroom teachers and other school staff from Metropolitan Business Academy, Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School, Augusta Lewis Troup School, Clinton Avenue School, Wexler-Grant Community School, as well as James Hillhouse High School.  The event not only brought the community together, but also created an opportunity for an array of voices to be heard around this important but often side-stepped topic. 

The conversation began with an open and honest look at the climate and culture of schools and then provided participants with the tools necessary to successfully assess a school's physical environment, school-wide practices and policies, personal interaction and written materials and communications.  

The group's exploration of how to create more family friendly schools is a critical component of the Boost! work and I am excited to see how our work can continue to help families and schools work together to achieve success!