Knox County’s Community Schools Initiative is a strategy for using public schools as a hub for organizing community resources to improve neighborhood health and safety and student academic success.
Ultimately, community schools aim to enhance student learning and serve as a catalyst to achieve healthy communities, with schools at the center. This is accomplished through two main areas of focus:
- Coordinating with partner organizations to provide direct services onsite, including academic enrichment, cultural and youth development programs, mental, social, physical and dental health promotion and disease management, and other services to youth, families and the broader community. Improved coordination of these services in the community surrounding the school, and connecting students, families and community members to these services, is a key component of the community schools concept.
- Addressing the factors that influence community health and quality of life, such as educational attainment, economic vibrancy, crime, physical safety, social connectivity, and community involvement. Community schools accomplish this by actively engaging and empowering community residents, parents, students and school staff in a process to identify and address barriers to student and community success, and facilitating connections with and between community partners who can address these barriers.
The Resource Coordinator at each community school works to engage students, parents, community residents and school personnel to determine program and service needs and assets and works with community partners to coordinate and facilitate the delivery of services through the community school.
Services:
Family, partner, and community engagement
Expanded learning opportunities
Health and social support
Youth development activities
Tutoring and academic enrichment
School facility open for extended hours
Volunteer opportunities
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Benefits:
With parent, neighborhood and partner input and involvement, community schools can be a positive center of influence to benefit students, families, and the surrounding community. Research indicates that these benefits include improved student learning, health, and attendance; stronger family engagement; an improved school climate; and safer neighborhoods.
Beaumont Magnet Academy* – Jill Akin
jakin@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.594.1272
School Website
Belle Morris Elementary* – Porschia Pickett
ppickett@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.594.1277
School Website
Christenberry Elementary* – Kristen Jaggers
kjaggers@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.594.0331
School Website
Dogwood Elementary*
865.579.5677
School Website
Green Magnet Academy* – Olivier Muhire
omuhire@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.594.1324
School Website
Inskip Elementary (University of Tennessee Assisted Community School) – Blaine Sample
ksample2@utk.edu
865.689.1450
School Website
Maynard Elementary* – Adrien Jones
ajones@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.594.1333
School Website
Lonsdale Elementary* – Kori Lautner
klautner@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.594.1330
School Website
New Hopewell Elementary – Janine Al-Aseer
jalaseer@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.579.2194
School Website
Northwest Middle – Cleveland Hilton
chilton@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.594.1339
School Website
Norwood Elementary – Jordan Frye
jfrye@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.689.1460
School Website
Pond Gap Elementary (University of Tennessee Assisted Community School) – Karen Holst
kholst1@utk.edu
865.909.9040
School Website
Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy* – Jervece Steele
jsteele@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.594.8913
School Website
Spring Hill Elementary* – Jessica Bocangel
jbocangel@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.594.1365
School Website
South Knoxville Elementary* – Ben Epperson
bepperson@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.579.2100
School Website
Vine Magnet Middle* – Kendra Berry
kberry@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.594.6146
School Website
West View Elementary – Susan Martin
smartin@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.594.4471
School Website
Whittle Springs Middle* – Liz Thacker
lthacker@greatschoolspartnership.com
865.594.4471
School Website
(*) indicates a Project GRAD assisted Community School that receives additional support and expanded partnerships.