Partnerships
The Boston Public Schools (BPS) identifies six areas of support that community and faith- based partners can provide for schools: Academic, College & Career, Health & Wellness, Parents & Family, Resource & Capacity, and Afterschool & Recreation. The school needs and community-based resource assessment surveys break these categories down into more detailed subcategories.
Some of the most common existing partnership models include:
- Service Projects
- School Events Volunteering
- Resource Donations (of clothing, books, supplies, gift cards, or money)
- Mentoring
- In-class Tutoring or Reading Buddies
- Afterschool Academic and Enrichment Program
- MCAS/PARCC Bootcamp (preparation for state tests)
- Saturday School
- Parent Council Support
- School and Community Advocacy
As a church, you can choose to:
- Form your own partnership with either an unmatched or matched school (Contact BPS or the Boston Education Collaborative (BEC) to find out which schools are currently unmatched or matched)
- Partner with another urban or suburban church to support an existing school partnership
- Partner with nonprofit and community-based organizations such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters (mentoring), Generations Inc. (reading buddies), and Boston Partners in Education (in-class tutors) seek volunteers from churches to participate in their school partnerships.