Short takes: Caring plus kids equals a winning combination 

In 2003, a group of teachers at the Louis Milani Elementary School in the Alameda County community of Newark conceived a special program that would directly address the social and ethical development of students, staff and the larger community through instruction, peer interaction, home-school connections and community projects. Thus the Caring School Community program was born.

Four years, a 2006 Golden Bell Award and hundreds of enriched students later, the CSC program is thriving, and the program has expanded to include all K-6 schools in Newark Unified School District.

CSC goals include empowering students to become lifelong learners with the skills, ethics and creativity needed to become contributing, productive citizens. A key component involves instruction in interpersonal communication skills through class meetings and the modeling and practice of core values.

Children learn how to handle challenging social situations, make decisions and solve problems. “Buddy classes” pair sets of classrooms that are a few grades apart. Older students are given instructions for working with their younger charges; they learn how to lead, facilitate and provide guidance. The younger group is coached on what to expect of the activity and how to respond.

“A lot of things are being handled between students in the classroom,” says Donna Morales, the school’s principal. “They are able to learn skills for handling conflict, and they are creating a sense of community in the classroom and between the grades as well.”

The program’s benefits extend beyond students. Improved collaborative practices between teachers and support staff have led to better services to students through regrouping, buddy classes, shared learning and community events that include families and friends.

In 2006, a visual representation of the unity between campus and community was created through a permanent art installation of 599 student-created hand-painted tiles that adorn the front and side of the Milani school. The tiles depict scenes, symbols and quotes that demonstrate the students’ increased understanding and celebration of the virtues of community and involved citizenship.

A 2003 case study that showed a correlation between the implementation of Caring School Community strategies and higher rates of attendance documents the program’s effectiveness: Referrals and disciplinary actions had decreased by 50 percent.

Initial investment in the CSC program amounted to the time donated by the participating teachers and then-principal Susan Guerrero (who later moved on to a different school). After developing a curriculum, the school purchased materials—a one-time cost—using Immediate Intervention in Underperforming Schools Program funds. The cost of community projects was covered through school business partnerships sought out by Guerrero and funds raised by the Milani Parent Teacher Club. Ongoing funding is based on finding and securing grants and gifts of materials from the community.

The program is now an integral part of all of Newark’s elementary schools. In the process, it has combined its goals of instructing students in social and ethical practices with a set of strategic goals shared by the city and district, which call for providing a world-class education, increasing parental involvement and celebrating diversity while providing a safe and nurturing environment for all its students.