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| The Strengthening Communities program is intended to improve the well being of individuals and families living in distressed neighborhoods. Grants aim to strengthen the social fabric of communities through support of efforts that foster local capacity building, resident participation in decision-making and community improvement efforts, and stronger neighborhood institutions and community organizations. The Foundation recognizes that an informed and active citizenry is essential for building and sustaining vibrant communities that address the needs of all residents, and nowhere is the need for resident participation more critical than in our schools. Public schools represent a powerful vehicle for gathering people together, and family involvement plays a direct and critical role in student success. By mobilizing parents who reflect the full diversity of our communities, effective parent engagement projects can improve educational outcomes for children and build both strong public schools and healthier, more vital communities. Examples of recent grants in the Strengthening Communities Program: Congregations Organizing for Renewal - Parents Organizing for Better Schools aims to improve public education in southern Alameda County through a multi-year initiative that develops parent leaders, engages parents in district-level reform efforts, and creates strategic alliances with other community groups working to promote parent participation in schools. Coliseum College Preparatory Academy - Family College Going Initiative is a project at a small by design 6 – 12th grade school that aims to integrate low-income parents into programs that create “college-going cultures” at home and at school. San Francisco Coalition for Essential Small Schools - Leadership for Parent Engagement is developing and implementing a new professional development project aimed at helping principals and teachers improve their strategies for engaging parents in efforts to actively support student success. Six high schools, one middle school, and one elementary school participate in this professional development effort. Bay Area Parent Leadership Action Network strengthens the efforts of parents to become effective leaders in schools and other institutions and policy arenas that affect their children’s lives by providing networking, training sessions, capacity building, and collaborative civic engagement opportunities for parent leaders and community organizations.
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