RuralCommunitySchoolPartnershipsProgram.it. RuralCooununityI q SchoolPannerships

H~ R-c-N41,c~:

1)4'dc~1k Nta ~~;/)( ~boastsa colorfulhistorythat hasleft its markon

the presentday.Basquesheepherders,Japanese

Americanswho wereheldat a nearbyinternmentcampduringWorldWar II,andfarm laborersof

both Europeanand Hispanicdescenthaveall hada formativeinfluenceon the town. Severalannual

eventshighlightthis richculturalheritage,includ-

ing a Japanese-AmericanObonfestival,a Basque

festival,anda Cincode Mayocelebration.Diversityis at the coreof Ontario'sidentity.

Ontario, Oregon-Ontario maynot be Rome,buta surprisingnumberof "roads"-both literalandfigurative-convergehere.Anagriculturaltownof approximately11,000,locatedmidwaybetweenSaltLakeCityandPortlandontheOregon/Idahoborder,Ontariobillsitselfastheplace"whereOregonbegins."1-84 skirtstheedgeoftownandfive majorhighwaysalsorunthroughit. Add a mainlineof the UnionPacificrailroad,andthe fact that

four rivers-the Snake,Malheur,Owyhee,and Pay-

ette-merge here,and it becomesmoreplausible

to viewthis sun-baked,irrigatedfarmingtown asasignificantNorthwestcrossroads.

In the 2000 censusHispanicsrepresented32

percentof the total population.Consisting

primarilyof third- or fourth-generationMexican-

Americans,this percentageis evenhigher in thecity'sfive elementaryschools,middleschool,and

highschool.At OntarioMiddleSchool,54 percent

of studentsin the 2004-2005 schoolyearwere

of Hispanicorigin.

Unlikemanyruraltowns in EasternOregon,racial

diversityis not entirelynewto Ontario.Originallyhometo NorthernPaiuteIndiantribes,the town

FindingCommon GroundWhile many"roads" convergein Ontario,the abilityto bringthesediverseelementstogether-whetherthroughculturaltraditions,individualskills,commu-

nity resources,socialservices,or educationaloppor-

tunities-can beeasiersaidthan done.Threeyearsago,the communityreceiveda RuralCommunity

SchoolPartnerships(RCSP)grantthat hasresultedin significantstridesin that direction.A commu-

nity educationinitiativefundedbyTheFordFamily

Foundationof southernOregon,the RCSPprogramfocuseson community-buildingeffortsin ruralareas

What is a community school?.:. A communityschoolis designedto meetthe social, educational, recreational, and

cultural needs of the community it serves.

.:. Community schools work to develop the

skills and capacities of community members,

including providing leadership development

opportunities to citizens of all ages.

.:. Community schools maximize the use of

community resources, including school and

community facilities and human resources.

.:. Community schools offer lifelong learning

opportunities to people of all ages.

.;" '1

throughoutthe state.In Ontario, as in most

small towns, schoolsare the lifeblood of the

community.The RCSP

program builds on this

foundation by linking

community resources

and opportunities toarea schools.

Ontario Middle School,

the only middle school

in the city, serves nearly700 students and their

families. Already the

recipient of a federal

::.:-.J 2r1st Century Com-

munity Learning Center

grant, the school had developed a comprehensive after-school

program-aptly named OMS Success-which made it an ideal

candidate for an RCSP program grant.

While OMS Success had shown positive results, those involved

in the program realized that important school and community

needs were still not being met. At-risk youth, particularly English

language learners, were underserved. The program lacked the

adult education opportunities and comprehensive social services

most needed by the community. Parents, families, and the larger

community weren't tapped as a rich resource.

The partners in the RCSP program drew on the previous

experience and advanced planning of the 21st Century program,

but took it several steps further by creating Project PEARL

(Parent Education and Responsible Leadership).

As its name implies, Project PEARLfocuses on both youth and

adult leadership development. Using a wide variety of resources,

programs, and events, parents are encouraged to be active in

their children's education and to take advantage of opportunities

to develop life-enhancing skills. Students are also challenged to

assume responsibility for their own future and take on new roles

in their community.

FromAt-Riskto In the LeadThe primaryavenue for youth leadership development is the

Academy of YoungAmbassadors (AYA),which focuses on small

groups of middle school students. Allstudents selected for the

AYA programare at-risk-either academically,behaviorally,socially,or for another reason-and are in danger of dropping

out of school or becoming involved in gangs. The program

begins with an intense two-week summer institute that explores

leadership, communication, conflict resolution, personal respon-

sibility,and other skills-including indepth literacy instruction-

necessary to succeed in school and life.Followingthe summer

institute, staff members hold weekly meetings with the Young

Ambassadors throughout the school year, both as a group andin one-on-one consultations.

Parents and families are an important part of the AYAprogram

and have their own support group. The AYAstaff is in frequent

contact with these adults, which provides both consistency be-

tween home and school and a broad base of support for students.

To date, more than 150 youth have participated in the AYA

program, and for many, the experience has been transforming.

Participants have shown academic improvement (as measured

by grades) and an increase in school and community involve-

ment. For some, the power of a positive peer group has made

the difference between dropping out and staying in school.

"The Academy raised my confidence," says Juan, a 13-year-old

middle school student. "1 didn't want to graduate, really, before,

but now I do. I have so many friends now. They respect me,

and I respect them. We're a big group."

Parents of Young Ambassadors also report that, overall,

AYAhas strengthened their families and helped move family

dynamics in a positive direction. It has also helped families

become more active participants at the school. The parent

volunteer rate at Ontario Middle School is now the highest

in the district, and attendance at .parent/teacher conferences

has dramatically increased.

Forsome students, the most powerful part of the AYA program

is the opportunity to come backasmentors.Eachyear,12high

schoolstudents-former Young Ambassadors-receive high

school credit while serving as mentors to the current middle

LifelongLearningintheHighDesert

schoolambassadors."I'm a differentperson,"saysMichelangelo

of hismentoringexperience."I keeplearningnewthingsabout

myselfandotherpeopleall thetime.I wouldn't beherenow,at

school,if I didn't go throughtheAcademy."Thementorship,he

says,wasat leastaspowerfulasthe originalexperience."It helpedmea lot. It wasniceto seethe kidslookat measa leader.Tohave

sixth-graderslookat melikethat-it helpedmebelievein myself."

ThreeRoadsto ServiceDeliveryInadditionto AYA,ProjectPEARLorganizesits servicesinto

threemainstrands:after-schoolprogramsand eveningclasses,

summerprograms,andcommunityserviceactivities.All threeapproachesincludeservicesfor bothyouthandadults.Many

includebuilt-infundraisingthat movesthe programscloserto

sustainabilitybeyondthe life of the grant.

Oneproject,GASP(GirlsAfter-SchoolProject),focuseson issues

relevantto middleschoolgirls.In anexampleof a pivotalcom-

munitypartnership,the projectisfundedbythe MalheurCom-missionon Childrenand Familiesand providesclassesthat help

girlstackleissuesof literacy,futureemployability,self-esteem,

andsocialskills.Theprogramalsooffersa safe,enrichingplace

to spendcriticalafter-schoolhours.

TheGirlsGroupis a separateafterschoolprogramthat is also

focusedon the issuesandneedsfacingteenagers.Althoughthis

isa separateprogramthan GASP,manyof the samegirlsbelong

to both.TheGirlsGroupis fundedby two localorganizations,

ProjectDOVEandthe STARCenter,and providesa curriculum

focusedonselfesteem,selfdefense,safety,and prevention.The

GirlsGroupis freeandis offeredat the communityschoolsite.

"Fun-Raising"classes,alsoofferedafter school,includecrafts,

food preparation,seedplanting,andother moneymakinglearn-

ing experiences.Theseclassesraised$3,000 in the 2004-2005

schoolyear,whichgoesbackinto the program.Parentvolunteers

arealsofrequentparticipantsin theseclasses.

Otherafter-schoolprogramsat the communityschoolincludea

homeworkclub,writingclasses,computerclasses,andspecialin-

terestactivitiessuchasscrapbooking,cardmaking,cooking,career

planning,dance,andvarioussports.

Anotherpivotalpartnershipis with the OntarioRecreation

Department,which helps

ProjectPEARLoffer summer

programsfor youth andadults.

Manyof theseprograms-

especiallythosefor adults- r). would not bepossiblewithout

the partnership.

ProjectPEARLalsoreaches

out to families.Manyprograms

andeventsarespecifically

organizedaroundfamilypar-

ticipation,includinga Mother-

DaughterNight,whichhasbecomea mainstayin the community.

Originallyofferedat the middleschool,the programhasspreadtoseveralotherschoolsites.An averageof 65 mothersanddaughters

now participatein thismonthlyeventthat focuseson relationship

buildinganddevelopinglifeskills.Yetanothercommunitypartner

helpsto hostFamilyFunNight,a monthlyeventthat includes

classesandactivitiesfor thewholefamily.

Participationin theseactivitiesledto the formationof a parent

group,whichdevelopsnewprogramsspecificallyfor adult learn-

ers.About 35 parentsmeetmonthlyfor classes,training,and

workshops.Thegrouphasalsosponsoredseveralserviceprojects,

includinga tsunamireliefeffort anda town hall meetingon teen

alcoholuse,whichbroughttogetherprofessionals,lawenforce-

ment representatives,parents,youth,andteachers.

Make it Fun!ReachingOutTothe WholeCommunityParentCenterCoordinatorJuliaMunoz,ProjectPEARLCoordinator

SuzieDouglas-Sap,and ProgramDirectorXochftlFuhriman-Ebert

havebeenthe forcebehindmanyof thesecommunitypartner-

ships.Drawingon theirdiversebackgrounds,experiencewith social

services,andcommunityconnections,theyhaveworkedtirelessly

to buildsupportfor programsandevents.

Oneexampleof how their hardwork haspaidoff is the adult

leadershipprogram.GeneralEducationalDevelopment(GED)

and Englishasa SecondLanguage(ESL)classesareco-hosted

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RuralCommunitySchoolPartnerships(RCSP)Program

byseveralcommunitypartnersanddeliveredbyTreasureValley

CommunityCollege.Originallyofferedonlyat the college,the

RCSPhelpedexpandthe programsothat it couldbeofferedall

year,andat a varietyof timesandlocations.Thishasensured

that the programmeetsthe needsof as manyadultsaspossible.

Parentsareultimatelythe mostimportantpartnersof all. Besides

increasedvolunteerismandinvolvementin projectssuchasAYA

andGASp,parentshelporganizeseveralimportantfundraisingevents.TheannualPotatoFeed,Meet in the Streetevent,and

FiestaMexicoall drawupwardsof 500 attendeesandprovide

fun for the entirecommunity.

Besidesparents,the RCSPhasralliedsupportfromacrossthe

community.Severalkeygroupshavebeenimportantpartners

in the successof the program,includingTheFamilyPlace,a

nonprofit,family-orientedcounselingandeducationcenterthat

helpssupportFamilyFunNights;the MalheurCountyJuvenile

Department,whichprovidesreferralsfor youth,givesfinancial

supportfor their participation,helpsplanprograms,andoffers

trainings;andLifewaysBehavioralHealth,whichprovidesstaff

andresourcesto a newalcoholpreventionprogram.

looking Back,looking AheadProjectPEARLnowfunctionsin a supportiverolefor Ontario

MiddleSchoolstaff.Teacherssimplydo not havetimeto dowhat

the programdoes.TheRCSPgranthasgiventhema powerfulset

of resourcesto callonwhenstudentsneedextrahelp.According

to PrincipalLavelleCornwell,"Theprogramhasgivenusgreater

optionsfor helpingstudentsandtheir families.It hashelped

developa commonlanguageamongparents,students,and

community."

TheRCSPprogramgrant is improvinglife for manyresidents

of Ontario.Bycombiningcommunityand schoolassets,Project

PEARLhasopenednewroads,providingsignificantopportunities

to youth andtheir familiesthat werenot availablein the past.

FromtheAcademyof YoungAmbassadorsto after-schoolpro-gramsto adult educationto a networkof comprehensivesocial

servicesandcommunitywideevents,ProjectPEARLsuccessfully

focuseson meetingthe community'smostsignificantneeds.

It is a true communityschoolpartnership,with strongparent

involvementandgenuinesupportfrom the school.Perhapsmost

important,the projectis helpingto developthe nextgenerationof leaders.ForOntario,the roadaheadlooksbetterthan ever.

Contacts

Project PEARLX6chitl Fuhriman-Ebert

Director

573 SW2ndAvenue

Ontario,OR 97914541-889-5377

xochy@ontario.k12.or.us

SuzieDouglas-SapCoordinator

sdouglas-sap@ontario.k12.or.us

~.~

THE Ford FamilyFOUNDATION

The Rural CommunitySchoolPartnerships(RCSP)Program is funded through The FordFamilyFoundation.Traiflingand technical assistancefor the RCSPprogram is providedthrough a collaborativepartnershipbetween the OregonCommunityEducationAssocia-tion, WillametteEducationServiceDistrict,andTheFordFamilyFoundation.

.A.. RuralCommunity

I; School Partnerships&NWRELNORTHWESTREGIONALEDUCATIONALLABORATORY

~"-~~

.11- The NorthwestRegionalEduca-tionalLaboratoryisresponsiblefortheproductionof thisreport.