At Niles Community Schools (NCS), community partnerships enhance our students’ learning experiences.

NCS has always looked for ways to partner with different community agencies, but in the past few years we have taken these partnerships to new levels.

In the fall of 2013, Oak Manor and the Niles-Buchanan YMCA began a highly successful after-school program for our sixth grade students. This program not only helps our students academically, but also develops social-emotional skills, healthy lifestyles, and student mentoring skills.

This program was so successful last year that this fall we have again used our partnership with the YMCA to enhance our third through fifth grade After-School Program.

Summer My Way was a huge success this summer thanks to the support of several community organizations working in tandem to benefit our children. The Niles-Buchanan YMCA, Berrien County 4-H, City of Niles, Four Flags Chamber of Commerce, Lake Michigan College, Lakeland HealthCare, Niles District Library, Southwestern Michigan College, United Way, plus various other local agencies, and Niles Community Schools partnered to create a free summer program for NCS students from kindergarten through fifth grade.

While some students attended a traditional summer school program in the morning that met specific academic needs, others attended morning camp activities. Both groups then joined forces in the afternoon for Project-Based Learning activities provided by the various partners. These activities included: a “trip around the world,” summer safety, hands on science projects, robotics and much more.

Niles New Tech Entrepreneurial Academy also relies on community partnerships to enhance its learner’s experiences. Students at New Tech have worked closely with several area businesses and agencies over the past four years.

But it isn’t enough that our students benefit from these partnerships. We want Niles Community Schools’ students to learn that community partnerships are about giving back to our community too. To that end, we strive to have our students become an integral part of the larger community of Niles and to have them learn that school is more than just academics.

All of our students, from the youngest learners at Northside to the oldest learners at the high school, participate in community service projects.

Each year our high school students participate in many different service projects. Some of those include: Pink Week for Breast Cancer Awareness; Stuff–A–Bus to provide food for local food pantries; many blood drives, and Relay for Life in the spring. Even our youngest learners at Northside are learning about being good citizens. They have organized a diaper and coat drive for the district that runs from Oct. 6 to Nov. 3.

Please consider helping.

Research shows that strong community partnerships strengthen students’ learning. By sharing our resources and expertise, we can all work together to create learning experiences for Niles Community Schools’ learners to see their connection to the larger community in which they live.

 

Angela Cramer is Director of Curriculum and Assessment Title Programs Director at Niles Community Schools.