The pandemic spotlighted the importance of addressing nonacademic barriers as a first step to prepare students for success. Federal pandemic-relief funding distributed to local districts, county governments, and public health agencies helped foster a community-wide response to the effects of poverty, low health care access, and other areas of instability.
School systems have used Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to expand non-academic student support services. These investments reflect a “whole-child, whole-school, whole-community” approach, an engagement model in which schools are a hub for expanding access to community resources.
Fundamental to the concept of school as community hub is the idea that students, educators, and parents feel safe when they enter the building. While school safety discussions often focus on physical well-being, the Georgia Partnership supports a three-dimensional view of safety that attends to the physical and emotional well-being of students and educators, fosters safer and more supportive learning environments, and enables stronger interpersonal relationships between all individuals participating in the life of the school.
Ensuring expanded access to wraparound supports delivered within schools and by referral to community partners.
Developing and implementing strategies that enable students and educators greater input and agency over the learning process.