(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles, State Superintendent of Education Hanseul Kang, and District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced two awardees of the District’s Community School Incentive Initiative Grant. J.O. Wilson Elementary School in Ward 6 and the Latin American Youth Center/Cardozo Community School in Ward 1 will each receive $175,000 to implement the community schools model, which promotes academic enrichment activities, facilitated parental involvement and health prevention and treatment services.
“With these grants, we are expanding the community school model to reach even more families and students, as we continue our push to create more pathways to the middle class,” said Mayor Bowser. “By taking into account the whole needs of a child, the community school model breaks down barriers to success, and enables our students to grow and thrive.”
As mandated by the Community Schools Incentive Act of 2012 (Amended in 2015), the new awardees will join six existing grantees. A community school brings community resources into a school to support students and families in and beyond the classroom. The goal of a Community School is to integrate academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement, in order to improve student academic achievement and ensure family well-being. Nationally, community schools have proven to reduce absenteeism, improve the health of students and their families, and increase high school graduation and college attendance.
“We are excited to see these grantees build upon the comprehensive supports that are aimed at ensuring students are healthy – physically, socially and emotionally, so they can succeed academically,” said State Superintendent Hanseul Kang. “These programs, which provide a range of services and supports, allow students and families to thrive in positive learning environments.”
The District’s community schools grantees include:
- DC Scholars at Stanton Elementary School
- Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative Community School Consortium at Jefferson Academy and Amidon-Bowen Elementary School
- Latin American Youth Center Community School
- Mount Pleasant Community School Consortium
- Partnership Achieve: E.L. Haynes Public Charter School and Mary’s Center Community Schools Initiative
- Roosevelt Community School
Since 2012, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education has had grant authority to award up to $1,000,000 a year in funding for community schools in the District. The grants are available through a competitive process and a key requirement for the award included establishing a consortium between a local education agency in the District and one or more community partners. The award is a multiyear grant award. The selected grantees will be eligible for three years of grant funding subject to available appropriations.