The One Northside School Partnerships Committee was formed to improve the Quality of Education and success of Northside schools.

By Dwayne Barker and Chris Sweeney, Co-Chairs of the One Northside (ONS) School Partnerships Committee

A quality education opens the door to career opportunities and economic prosperity. It hasn’t always been available, especially in urban environments, in equitable ways, for all students. So, when the Buhl Foundation launched the One Northside (ONS) initiative in 2014, Northside residents identified Quality of Education as a major focus area for it.

Quality of Education includes access to affordable childcare, school readiness programs, stronger relationships with all of the neighborhood schools and quality afterschool programs that provide more than just a safe haven.

The ONS School Partnerships Committee was formed as a branch of the ONS initiative to partner with residents, parents, community leaders, stakeholders and educators who want to provide support and resources to help all Northside schools succeed. The role of the committee is to support and strengthen the partnerships between our schools and these community resources.

2019 Committee Goals Include:

•   Outreach and communications highlighting positive activities within Northside schools
•   Hosting a series of panel discussions about community awareness and engagement
•      Parent workshops
• Supporting the implementation and expansion of community schools and strengthening community partnerships more generally in our schools

The committee meets every other month at a different Northside school, so community members have a chance to tour the schools and engage with the principals. The most recent meeting was held at Propel Northside in their new Community Wellness Center, a feature of their new community school model.

Future School Partnerships meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 8, Tuesday, March 12 and Tuesday, May 14. Meetings are open to the public.