Do you remember that time you gathered the courage to ask a local restaurant to donate free pizza for your AVID seniors’ end-of-year celebration? Or when a colleague applied for a grant from a local tech company to bring an after-school robotics program to your elementary students? Can you recall how grateful your students were for that pizza party? Or the joy that your elementary students expressed when their homemade robot started moving? Community and philanthropic partnerships offer significant benefits, as they enhance students’ school experiences, foster a sense of connectedness, and create stronger and happier communities.
At AVID, we’ve seen firsthand how community and philanthropic connections bring about positive change. If you’re considering building these types of relationships within your school or district, the information below will provide inspiration and resources to help get you started.
Enhancing Parent and Family Engagement
Parent and family engagement are essential components of student success. In summarizing a report completed by Henderson and Mapp (2002) for SEDL, Youth.govshares, “Family engagement in schools contributes to positive student outcomes, including improved child and student achievement, decreased disciplinary issues, improved parent-teacher and teacher-student relationships, and improved school environment.”
When AVID was awarded a grant from the Mazda Foundation (USA), Inc. in 2021 to launch AVID in Madison City Schools, an opportunity was created for middle and high school parents to become more involved in their child’s education. Parents gained access to vital college and career resources to support their child’s academic journey. “The grant has helped parents become more involved and engaged in their children’s education,” shared Madison City Schools educator Makenna Smith. “Through AVID, parents gain insights and resources that help them understand how their kids can excel in school and prepare for future careers. This support helps parents feel more connected to their children’s academic journey and more confident in helping them pursue their goals.”
Similarly, the Alcoa Foundation’s support expanded AVID to North Stanly High School and Albemarle High School in North Carolina’s Stanly County Schools. These newly implementing AVID campuses offered more opportunities to engage parents with events, such as AVID Signing Night and AVID Information Night.
Creating Mutually Beneficial Community Relationships
Effective community partnerships are reciprocal, with each party benefiting from the relationship. The connections formed through the Alcoa Foundation and Mazda Foundation grants are perfect examples of such beneficial partnerships.
The Alcoa grant helped establish a relationship with Pfeiffer University. Through this relationship, the university hosted an AVID Night for AVID Elective students to attend a basketball game free of charge with their family. This has become an annual event, with another game scheduled for the end of the month.
This partnership also opened doors for Stanly County Schools, providing ongoing opportunities that include college tours, simulated college lectures, and team-building activities at Pfeiffer University. Through quarterly advisory meetings, Alcoa brings together select community members, including representatives from local, county, and state government and organizations; members of area nonprofits; and educational representatives from kindergarten through higher education, with schools from Stanly County participating. These meetings have given the community an opportunity to learn about AVID and engage in volunteerism by serving as guest speakers in the AVID Elective class.
The Mazda Foundation grant helped Madison City students become more active in the community. Students volunteered at local events, such as “Midtown Trunk or Treat” and “Celebrate Madison,” strengthening their ties to the community and fostering civic engagement. Discovery Middle School students also visited local elementary schools, helping younger students focus on essential skills while building positive relationships and connections.
Start Something Wonderful!
The examples above are just a few ways that community and philanthropic partnerships are positively impacting students and communities. While each district’s partnerships may look slightly different, their impact is consistent: They create meaningful relationships, foster a sense of belonging, and provide students with the knowledge and resources to ignite their future dreams.
What are YOU waiting for? Reach out to your local community or philanthropic organizations to start something wonderful in your school or district!
Need Resources?
Check out our Funding AVID webinar for valuable insights on securing grant funding and building community support for AVID.
