New North Carolina Community Schools Coalition works to improve student academic, mental, and physical health through Full-Service Community Schools

The North Carolina Community Schools Coalition aims to improve the academic, mental, and physical health of North Carolina students through the development of Full-Service Community Schools across the state.

Schools selected to participate in the program were identified as especially impacted by systemic, pervasive, and growing challenges in these communities. The coalition is funded by the United States Department of Education.

Over the next five years, the coalition projects working with 55 schools across 18 school districts to support 22,000 children, with an emphasis on rural school communities that experience persistent poverty. Students and their guardians will be recipients of coalition services and will guide the program’s development, ensuring the right services are implemented and accessible.

Our focus

“We are driven by a vision of schools led by and for children and their families that are hubs of community pride and resources,” said Coalition Co-Director Dan Kimberg.

“This coalition is focused on the systems that impact our students, and we are dedicated to our present and future students,” said Coalition Co-Director Kanecia Zimmerman. “We are responsible for thinking through every decision and the implications for future generations of students.”

Our partners

The coalition’s four regional partners are the Rural Education Institute at East Carolina University, Student U, North Carolina Community Schools Coalition, Inc., and United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County. In collaboration with the full North Carolina Community Schools Coalition, the partners will support communities throughout all regions of North Carolina (west, central, and east) in implementing school-based services.

Our model

The dynamic Full-Service Community Schools model includes four pillars:

1. Collaborative Leadership and Practices
2. Active Family and Community Engagement
3. Integrated Student Supports
4. Expanded and Enriched Learning Time