Mayor de Blasio sits at table with 5 other people at community schools event
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    Mayor de Blasio announced 69 new community schools, bringing the total number of Community Schools citywide to 215, exceeding the City's original projection of 200 Community Schools by 2017. New York City is the largest Community Schools system in the nation.
    
the awards for excellence winners stand on stage and pose for a picture

NYC is Awarded the 2017 Community Schools Award for Excellence

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    NYC was awarded the 2017 Community Schools Award for Excellence by the Coalition for Community Schools, an initiative of the Institute for Educational Leadership. The Awards for Excellence are distributed every two years.
    
Mayor de Blasio speaks to two males while smiling
In This Story
    Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the City will expand its vision screening program to all 130 Community Schools and will partner with Warby Parker to provide a free pair of glasses to every student in need.
two girls pose on a playground while boy slides down a post in the background

Mayor Bill de Blasio's strategy to launch and sustain a system of over 100 Community Schools across NYC by 2017

The Plan

    Read Mayor de Blasio’s plan to establish over 100 fully developed Community Schools to improve student achievement through strong partnerships among principals, parents, teachers and Community Based Organizations (CBOs).

    Download Plan

The New York City Community Schools Initiative

The NYC Community Schools Initiative is a central element of Mayor Bill de Blasio's vision to re-imagine the City's school system. Community Schools are neighborhood hubs where students receive high-quality academic instruction, families can access social services, and communities congregate to share resources and address their common challenges.

With the Mayor's bold pledge to create more than 100 new fully-developed Community Schools over the next several years, NYC is now at the forefront of a national movement focused on a holistic and comprehensive approach to education in urban centers. This approach prioritizes student wellness, readiness to learn, personalized instruction, community partnerships and family engagement as key strategies to leverage better academic outcomes among high-need students.

Community Schools recognize that students who are hungry, can’t see the blackboard, or are missing school regularly face critical obstacles to learning in the classroom. By providing an extra meal, connecting a parent to job training, or enrolling a student in an afterschool program, they can lower barriers to learning and help kids succeed.

Learn more about Mayor de Blasio's Community Schools plan.

Community Schools in Practice

Watch as laundry is implemented for families in need in community schools and provides solutions for people in need of this resource.

Laundry at P.S. 15


Watch as stronger relationships through partnerships are built including with children to build attendance improvement, social and emotional needs in community schools.

Partnerships at P.S. 78