There is broad recognition that anchor institutions--universities, hospitals, and other locally embedded organizations--can leverage their economic and human resources to revitalize and empower distressed neighborhoods. In Milwaukee, five anchor institutions, including Marquette University, collaborated with residents, city officials, and other…

A key component of comprehensive school and higher ed emergency operations plans (EOPs) is an exercise program that includes the five types of exercises: (1) orientations, (2) tabletop exercises, (3) drills, (4) functional exercises, and (5) full-scale exercises. The exercise program can be developed during Step 5 of the six-step planning process…

In gatherings facilitated by Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools staff, fellows have the chance to connect, collaborate, and support each other; to draw inspiration from invited speakers, ranging from artists to climate scientists; and to have dedicated time to work on their own projects. Participants find the program to be…

This Playbook provides steps in which workforce development boards (WDBs) can blur the lines between high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce. WDBs can play a significant role to Raise the Bar for student success by developing an "education-to-workforce system" focusing on Unlocking Career Success. The three steps detailed…

This playbook provides ways in which city and county leaders and their teams can blur the lines between high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce. City and county leaders can play a significant role to raise the bar for student success by developing an "education-to-workforce system" that focuses on unlocking career…

In 2020, Kentucky embarked on a journey to transform teaching and learning in the state through its "United We Learn" initiative. As a result of that work, Kentucky learning communities are making significant strides toward innovative deeper learning practices. In Aurora Institute's glossary, the term "deeper learning"…

Equitable education requires racially, and economically integrated schools staffed by skilled teachers who are adequately prepared to teach in diverse classrooms. This summary includes best practices reflecting the concerted efforts of communities across the country working to pursue integrated communities reflecting the rich diversity in the…

The need for physical activity promotion is ubiquitous, and offering physical activity interventions in community settings may reach people where they live, work, and play. Reaching people and providing evidence-based programming is exactly what the Cooperative Extension System has accomplished over the last century. In 2014, federal policy…

Most educators believe that social and emotional learning (SEL) skills are a fundamental part of good teaching and learning. Long before the pandemic, surveys showed that teachers believed these skills were essential for students to learn at school, and research confirmed that they are linked with measures of academic success. Educators need…

This article discusses best practices learned from a corporate partnership between Bayer, 4-H county programs in Missouri, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; and National 4-H Council. This corporate partnership has blossomed into a multi-level engagement that is offering unique opportunities for both Bayer and 4-H programs at the local and state level.…

This brief summarizes key findings from the first annual Needs Assessment Survey created and administered by the Houston Independent School District (HISD). In the fall 2019, HISD's Wraparound Services Department designed and administered the Needs Assessment Survey to all students, parents, and teachers on the 146 campuses that offered wraparound…

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) educators are often tasked with teaching financial literacy to high school students. Many states have adopted financial literacy as a high school graduation course requirement. However, the need for financial literacy does not end in high school. Many parents could benefit from additional financial literacy…

Service-learning provides an experientially-based pedagogical approach that can increase student engagement in the learning environment and promote the development of cultural competency when working with diverse populations. This article reports on the curriculum development of a Latinx mental health undergraduate service-learning course that…

Nearly two hundred students, faculty, staff, and community members gather in a series of events to read and respond to poetry written by incarcerated authors. The program engages inmates in poetic self-expression, reflection, and personal growth while challenging honors students to consider what they have learned in literature classes in a broader…

"Chemistry in the Public Library" is an outreach event that has fostered a continuing, long-standing partnership between The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington (a public, liberal arts college), the Olympia Timberland Regional Library (the local public library), and the community. It started as a National Chemistry Week event…