Quick Connections — Partnership Stories & Strategies

This recording is part 13 in a series highlighting strategies and tools to build and strengthen school-community partnerships, co-sponsored by School’s Out Washington and YDEKC. Pamela Raya-Carlton and Nathalie Jones of the Best Starts for Kids (BSK) School Partnerships Evaluation Team from Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) and BSK grantees working in school-community partnerships, Ayanle Ismail from Bridging Cultural Gaps, Sharon Moon of the Dispute Resolution Center of King County, and Vaudery Frelix Brown from Mill Creek Middle School in the Kent School District. Our guests shared key findings from the evaluation report, which include two critical factors that are drivers of equitable partnerships: leaders who are committed to building relationships and trust and sharing power among schools, CBOs, students, and families, and structures to support coordination, including space, resources, and an explicit coordination role or function. BSK grantees gave specific examples of which drivers have been helpful to their work, challenges they have experienced, and tips for those embarking on new partnerships.

We encourage you to check out these resources to support your own work in these areas:
-Learn more about the PSESD’s Evaluation of School-Community Partnerships: https://strategy.psesd.org/current-evaluation-projects/best-starts-for-kids
-Partnership Ecosystem Mapping Activity: https://ydekc.org/resource-center/ecosystem-mapping-activity/
-Tip Sheet: Understanding School & Student Needs: https://ydekc.org/resource-center/tip-sheet-school-student-needs/
-Elevator Pitch Blog Post and Tool: https://ydekc.org/news/whats-your-elevator-pitch-how-do-you-talk-about-your-program-and-to-whom/
-Checklists for Sustainability: https://ydekc.org/resource-center/sustainability-checklist-community-partners/ (for Community Partners) or https://ydekc.org/resource-center/sustainability-checklist-school-leaders/ (for School Leaders)

Check out the rest of the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI1gj9jGVQ0&list=PLXvCD-Qeu8ktjHpbAgnByOQX8ULPtlY3k