Whole Child Education

North East Independent School District (NEISD) in Texas is an American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) 2011 National School Library Program of the Year (NSLPY) Award recipient. To create lifelong learners at NEISD, the school library program works to “model and promote the effective integration of technology and student-centered strategies to support the access, use, evaluation, and creation of information; and model, teach, and practice the ethical use of information in order to promote good digital citizenship in students, teachers, and the community.” Along with skills to evaluate information, technology skills are embedded into the core content areas when teachers and school librarians collaborate to design lessons. Products of these lessons incorporate various presentation tools, including podcasts, slideshows and videos. This allows students to not only complete their work, but share it with others, like their parents and peers, by posting it on classroom or library blogs.
 

Henrico County (Va.) Public Schools received an American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) National School Library Program of the Year (NSLPY) Award in 2011. Collaborative partnerships are the key to the Henrico program’s success. “Parents, central office personnel, school board members, feeder schools, and the business community are constituents that all have a stake in successful students,” read the application submitted by Henrico’s educational specialist in library services, Ann M. Martin. “Our model is based on an all-inclusive approach, with students and staff at the center of the circle and each succeeding circle encompassing more of our stakeholders. When a library activity occurs, we include as many stakeholders as possible.”
 

Two-time winner of whole child partner America's Promise Alliance's 100 Best Communities for Young People designation, Manchester, N.H., stresses youth leadership through all of its practices and is known nationally for its work in the design, development, and implementation of leadership models.

Whether it is the City of Manchester, through the Departments of Planning, Health, Youth Services, or the Manchester School District, positive and engaging programs are budding around the community:

• The Weed-n-Seed Initiative has led to the development of programs to reduce the number of youth in juvenile justice and improve youth health.
• The City Year Young Heroes is a service-learning program that serves as a platform for middle-grades students to understand important social issues while giving them the chance to positively influence their communities.

Young people in Manchester are working alongside adults to fully support the academic, social, and physical needs of everyone in their community.

From the academic sector to the financial and environmental sectors, every part of Missoula, Mont., is dedicated to serving its youth population. Programs like Child Care Resources, the Forest Service, and Graduation Matters Missoula speak to the community's dedication.

• Child Care Resources provides scholarships for low-income youth to participate in fee-based programs.
• The Forest Service allows students to learn about the wilderness and take advantage of its proximity to the community.
• Graduation Matters Missoula is a recent partnership whose focus is to ensure that the whole community plays a role in keeping students in school. Its goal is to achieve a 100 percent graduation rate through promoting academic reentry or completing General Education Development requirements.

Accessibility to all of these programs is a strong priority, and Missoula is continuing to address the needs of its youth through community collaboration. In recognition of its commitment to youth, Missoula is a winner of whole child partner America's Promise Alliance's 100 Best Communities for Young People recognition.

Family-oriented Butler County, Mo., has been putting forth an inspiring amount of effort into providing a multitude of opportunities for youth. "Learning, serving, and growing" characterizes the focus of this two-time winner of the whole child partner America's Promise Alliance's 100 Best Communities for Young People recognition.

Between community theater productions, spelling bees, and civic athletics, youth are involved in educational opportunities across a spectrum of subjects. A driving force in Butler County is the Community Resource Council, where more than 300 individuals and 100 local agencies participate in community action committees that promote healthy children and families.

Youth are even involved in developing local policies—almost every youth-serving program asks for youth participants to assess the community's role in meeting their needs and the programmatic effects through an annual survey.

Kalamazoo, Mich., is an exemplary community hub for young people and a two-time winner of whole child partner America's Promise Alliance's 100 Best Communities for Young People recognition.

Focused on providing resources for youth in elementary school through college, the community has created enriching opportunities that will continue to foster youths' academic and nonacademic potential. The dedication is shown through community-wide programs, like the Kalamazoo Youth Development Network that has linked 82 agencies together to ensure that a wide variety of services are available to youth. For every graduate of the Kalamazoo Public Schools, the Kalamazoo Promise guarantees free college tuition at public colleges and universities in Michigan (if requirements are met). Over $17 million has been invested by donors to provide more than 1,500 students with post-secondary education.

Four-time winner of whole child partner America's Promise Alliance's 100 Best Communities for Young People recognition, Bradenton/Manatee County in Florida exemplifies youth empowerment. Residents, schools, nonprofit organizations, and businesses place huge importance on intergenerational partnerships, enabling students to gain a strong sense of unity and volunteerism through numerous opportunities.

Twelve thousand youth participate in service programs annually, contributing more than 1.6 million hours to serving their community. Civic engagement programs, like The ManaTEEN Club and Helping Others Lead, Learn, and Achieve, serve as platforms for youth to truly exhibit leadership skills, including offering service opportunities for youth as young as 5.

Community collaboration full of diverse and proactive engagement continues to create a wonderful place to live in Anchorage, Alaska, a four-time winner of whole child partner America's Promise Alliance's 100 Best Communities for Young People recognition.

The effects of decisions related to youth and families play a key role in community activities and programs, such as the Youth Advisory Commission and the Supportive Adult Relationships Coalition, that have helped members of the Anchorage community voice their opinions and raise awareness about services ranging from education to housing.

Spirit of Youth and the Good News-Great Kids serve as motivational programs that offer financial support and recognition to youth who value community service and have overcome obstacles in their lives. The unique enrichment, cultural experiences, and focus on the well-being of its residents truly makes Anchorage a vibrant and engaging place to live.