Partners and Community Based Organizations

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Building and Sustaining Community Partnerships

When budgets are tight, summer programs can fall by the wayside, particularly affecting low-income families that can’t access private resources. Partnerships are a proven and cost-effective way for schools and organizations to expand what they can offer children and provide more meaningful summer learning experiences—making a real difference in the lives of children, families, and communities. - Report from the National Summer Learning Association with support from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation

Leveraging Community Support

Vital to the success of any summer learning program is the development of its partnerships, and it is important to leverage your resources in meaningful ways. It is suggested that Summer Learning Programs:

Engage in partnerships to offer high-quality enrichment by providing a wide range of fun activities.
Consider community partnerships as an effective strategy for maximizing summer-program participation.
Use community-based partners for expertise in activities like sports, arts, design, and cooking.
Ensure these partners are equipped to carry out the program’s mission.

Where to start

The Wallace Foundation Summer Learning Toolkit provides sample RFP and Memorandum of Understanding to set clear requirements and expectations to recruit providers that best fit your mission.

Use an RFP that includes program information and expectations for enrichment providers and guidelines for application and submission, including evaluation criteria for proposal review and contract terms and conditions.
- Sample - Pittsburgh Summer Enrichment Selection
Use a Memorandum of Understanding to delineate roles and responsibilities between the district and its partners.
- Sample - Boston Summer Enrichment MOU

Seeking New Partners; Easy as Summer Breeze - You for Youth

In each community, there will be organizations and individuals who can help strengthen the quality and success of your summer learning program. ADE highly encourages Summer Learning Program administrators to engage with the following organizations where applicable.

Within Your LEAs
Local AEA Chapter
PTO/PTA Leadership
Parents of Special Needs Students
ELL Parents
Parent Councils
Teacher Site Leaders
Title I Staff
Special Education Staff
ELL Staff
Counselors and Mental Health Staff
Not required, but consider engaging: students (especially from middle and high schools)
Within Your Community
Mental Health Organizations – check out the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Site to Find a Local Chapter.
Connect with the following Non-Profit Partners who have worked with 21st CCLC sites -
21st CCLC External Non-Profit Community Partnership List (pdf) (Arizona's 21st CCLC programs identified organizations that have worked with Arizona 21st CCLC programs in the state)
School Connect - Create a Love Our Schools Day and provide an opportunity for community members to connect with their local school - to roll up their sleeves and plant a garden, or paint a classroom.

(NOTE: this is not a comprehensive list, and some of the groups may not be present in your community. This is intended to be a general resource. You may know of more relevant stakeholders within your specific community.)

We are currently building a list of Non-Profit Community Partnerships that also support summer learning.

I am a nonprofit organization that has worked with Summer Learning Programs in Arizona.

Contact the LEA or District who established a partnership with your nonprofit and request that they email the following information:

Nonprofit Name
Website
Phone Number
Targeted Areas such as; Academic, Enrichment, Youth Development, Family Engagement
Region of Arizona to: [email protected]

The Arizona Department of Education is not responsible for controlling or guaranteeing this outside information's accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness. Further, the inclusion of information or a hyperlink or URL does not reflect the importance of the organization, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered.

Click Here to Join our CoP!

Join us in sharing best practices and creating new knowledge to advance Summer Learning in Arizona.

All meeting dates will have two times to choose from 9:00am - 10:00am or 3:30-4:30pm.

Meetings will be recorded and posted next to the meeting dates.

September 22,2022 -Summer Learning CoP.mp4 on Vimeo

Seeking collaborative partners who are passionate about ensuring equity in summer learning for all stakeholders.

Join ADE’s Summer Learning Coordinator, Dawn Fitzhugh, in a collaborative network focused on developing Arizona Summer Learning Roadmap for Administrators.

The Summer Learning Roadmap will support administrators with advancing the quality of summer learning programs across the state of Arizona.

Details on the Summer Learning Collaborative Network:

Serving on the Summer Learning Collaborative Network brings partners together. (August 2022 - July 2023)
Virtual Meetings/ held bi-monthly on the first Friday every other month from 9:00 am - 10:00 am.
Receive frequent updates to our progress of the summer learning roadmap.

Become a member by emailing [email protected] with your name, number, title, and organization.

Members will be asked to support the ongoing process to elevate best practices in Arizona for summer learning, via email with task items that will contribute to design the summer learning roadmap beginning August 1, 2022.

Your voice matters and ensures the focus is on equity and excellence!

Save the date: Virtual Meetings - 9:00am – 10:00am.