When Evans High School opens at its new location in 2012, it will house a clinic offering mental health, health and dental care to its students thanks to a partnership with the University of Central Florida and the Children\u2019s Home Society of Florida.<\/p>\n
Evans will become Central Florida\u2019s first community school, a place that engages students, parents and other community members by offering after-school enrichment, adult-education and social services programs in addition to its regular high school curriculum. The goal is to promote student success and help draw the community closer together.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will end up becoming a hub for neighborhood activities,\u201d said Mike Frumkin, dean of UCF\u2019s College of Health and Public Affairs.\u00a0 \u201cResearch has shown that increased cohesiveness among community members creates an environment where students succeed and improves neighborhood stability, safety and prosperity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frumkin and David Bundy, CEO of the Children\u2019s Home Society of Florida, share a vision of establishing one or more community schools in Central Florida. And both are committed to maintaining a long-term partnership, lasting a minimum of 10 to 15 years, which will support the initiative.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Children\u2019s Home Society of Florida, our strategic goal is to ensure that children are safe, healthy and prepared for life,\u201d Bundy explained. \u201cWe believe this community school model will enable us to meet that challenge; to help students succeed in school and in life, supported by stronger families and communities. UCF is a critical partner in this effort, providing invaluable hands-on resources in addition to vast research and analysis of effective community school strategy and practice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frumkin and Bundy led a search to identify schools and neighborhoods that could clearly benefit from a community school. They then looked for school partners willing to take on such an initiative. They found one in David Christiansen, principal of Evans High.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an exciting time for Evans High School,\u201d Christiansen said. \u201cA new campus is on the way, our graduation rate is at a 10-year high and now we are establishing a community school partnership between OCPS, UCF, the Children\u2019s Home Society and JP Morgan Chase. This innovative partnership will allow our students to meet their full potential and our community to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n
A $175,000 donation from JP Morgan Chase to the Children\u2019s Home Society of Florida this fall has enabled the nonprofit organization to hire a director who will help launch and run the community school at Evans. The grant may be renewed on an annual basis.<\/p>\n
\u201cChase has embraced our community school vision, making a generous contribution essential to our progress,\u201d Bundy said. \u201cChase\u2019s support funds the position of community school director, the critical convener of the Evans High family, local business and faith leaders, additional resources and on-site partners.\u201d<\/p>\n
Plans for a second community school at Friendship Elementary in Volusia County are currently under way.<\/p>\n
At UCF, the College of Health and Public Affairs is taking the lead in helping to facilitate the development of the community schools. The College of Education is playing a key role a well, and the colleges of Medicine and Nursing also will contribute their expertise and resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe community school initiative is very much in keeping with UCF\u2019s goal of being a premier partnership university,\u201d Frumkin said. \u201cBy combining our talents and resources with those of the Children\u2019s Home Society of Florida and our partner schools, we hope to have a lasting impact on the lives of students, families and communities in Central Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Evans High School opens at its new location in 2012, it will house a clinic offering mental health, health and dental care to its students thanks to a partnership with the University of Central Florida and the Children\u2019s Home Society of Florida. Evans will become Central Florida\u2019s first community school, a place that engages students, parents and other community…","protected":false},"author":138,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-twocol.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[6,12],"tags":[],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-19435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","category-health"],"yoast_head":"\n