ORLANDO — Carver Middle School will become the fifth school in Orange County to adopt the innovative Community Partnership Schools™ model this year with partnerships among Children’s Home Society of Florida, University of Central Florida, Orange Blossom Family Health and Orange County Public Schools.
The partnerships are announced as the next step in growing the successful model first implemented in Orlando at Evans High School in 2012 and expanded to 50 schools statewide, transforming tens of thousands of lives.
The effective Community Partnership Schools™ model requires at least 4 core partners – including the school district, a healthcare provider, a nonprofit organization and a college or university – to agree to a 25-year commitment to the school and community, impacting generations.
Founded by the Children’s Home Society of Florida and the University of Central Florida, the Community Partnership Schools™ model engages core partners, collaborating with local nonprofits, businesses, the faith community, and other stakeholders. Together, they operate within schools to tackle crucial barriers to learning, such as food insecurity, poverty, inadequate access to affordable healthcare, behavioral health services, and heightened rates of violence and crime, among other identified challenges.
Children’s Home Society of Florida received $80,000 in state grant funds after being selected by UCF’s Center for Community Schools to launch a community partnership school at Carver Middle, in addition to local financial contributions to support this initiative.
“I am honored to express our deepest gratitude for selecting Carver Middle School as a Community Partner School,” said Samuel Danner, Principal at Carver Middle School. “This recognition is a testament to the commitment and dedication of our staff, students, and community members who work tirelessly to create a positive, inclusive, and supportive learning environment. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership will bring to our school, enhancing our ability to serve our students and families more effectively. We look forward to expanding our resources, strengthening our programs, and creating even more impactful experiences that will help our students thrive academically and personally.”
The first step toward implementation is the planning phase, which includes a community needs assessment. Students, teachers, parents and community members identify their primary needs and challenges, the results of which will determine the services and solutions that will be brought into the school.
Other critical components of this model include a focus on parental and family engagement, as well as comprehensive health and wellness efforts.
This collaborative approach leverages schools as central hubs toward improving child well-being by addressing key barriers to learning through counseling, medical and dental services, after-school enrichment, mentoring programs, and more.
Because they center on unique community needs, each Community Partnership School is different, but they all share a similar goal – to empower students to succeed in school and life. Specific successes through the Community Partnership Schools™ model include increased graduation rates, reduced disciplinary actions and increased parental involvement.
CHS received additional planning grants to implement the Community Partnership Schools™ model at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Elementary School, Matthew Gilbert Middle School, Turie T Small Elementary School, Buchanan Middle School and Homestead High School. CHS is a core partner in 37 of 50 Community Partnership Schools in Florida – more than any other entity in the state.
