Seattle Public Schools
Kids Company
University of Washington
City of Seattle
Atlantic Street Center/Parent Child Home Program
Capital Improvement Project at T.T. Minor Elementary School
Ladies Musical Club
University of Washington Meany World Series
UW Center for Environment, Education and Design Studies (CEEDS)
Mithun
Seattle Public Schools
www.seattleschools.org/
The partnership with Seattle Public Schools began over ten years ago when businessman and philanthropist Stuart Sloan first met Seattle School Superintendent John Stanford. They quickly realized they shared a common vision for whole school reform that involved transforming one school at a time and creating new models for private support of public education. This became the vision of The New School Foundation. Implementing this vision means working with almost every department in the district, the school board, and the Seattle Education Association. It means ongoing education of school administrators and board members about the program. And it is a partnership that can help state law makers see adequate education funding in action as they begin to determine how to fund the basic education reform legislation enacted earlier this year (spring 2009)..
Kids Company
www.kidscompany.org
The New School Foundation partners with Kids Company at South Shore Pk-8 School. Kids Company was a willing partner in developing a program with an expanded focus beyond typical before and after school care. Staff participate in professional development opportunities offered to school staff, in order to provide consistent adult/child interactions and ongoing attention to academic goals throughout the child’s day.
University of Washington
Many divisions of the University of Washington have formed ready, willing and creative partnerships with The New School Foundation. These include:
College of Architecture and Urban Planning http://www.caup.washington.edu/
School of Public Health http://sphcm.washington.edu/
College of Education http://education.washington.edu/
The Information School http://www.ischool.washington.edu/
University - Community Partnerships School of Nursing http://www.son.washington.edu/
Meany World Series http://www.uwworldseries.org/
City of Seattle
www.cityofseattle.net.parks/
www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/
The City of Seattle is a ready, willing and creative partner. The New School Foundation worked with the Department of Health and Human Services to shape the Families and Education Levy, particularly the increased funding for early childhood education. The city of Seattle has awarded "Step Ahead" grants to South Shore School, as part of this levy. This grant provides partial support for 17 Pre-K seats. The city believes in the importance of Pre-K as an effective way to give low-income children a solid beginning to their academic careers, preparing them for success throughout school. The grant assures the continuation of the Pre-K programs, and it will improve program quality through networking with other high quality providers and enhanced teacher training.
The Department of Parks and Recreation and Office of Neighborhoods supported the capital improvement at T.T. Minor. The Rainier Beach Community Center offers its facilities and services, such as the swimming pool, to South Shore PK-8. Parks also facilitated the placement of a learning garden very near the new South Shore building on parks-owned property. This learning garden will be utilized initially by students at South Shore, students enrolled at Kids Co. and youngsters participating in programming at the Rainier Beach Community Center.
Atlantic Street Center / Parent Child Home Program
www.atlanticstreet.org
The Rainier Beach Family Center, located at South Shore PK-8, began in 1991 as the Southeast Family Center and changed its name when it moved to South Shore in 2002. The Center served 450 families in 2003, offering a variety of afternoon and evening programs including parent education, women’s health, working with schools, and support groups for grandparents, teens as parents and fathers. The Center, which is managed by The Atlantic Street Center, collaborates with more than ten community agencies to provide expertise from financial management to cooking. Many South Shore School families take advantage of these services.
Because of the Foundation’s partnership with Atlantic Street Center, the organization received a grant from the Washington Women’s Foundation to start the first Parent Child Home Program (PCHP) in Seattle. Begun in September 2004, this program serves as a model for other PCHPs which will be funded through the Families and Education Levy.
Many Partners Make Music And Miracles
The Capital Improvement Project at T.T. Minor Elementary School
Over a period of five years, and with exhaustive community, corporate and volunteer backing, the foundation helped transform the T.T. Minor campus. What once was a run down, cracked asphalt area closed off by a chain link fence is now a neighborhood park and walkway that boasts new play areas, basketball courts and community gardens. A kaleidoscope of colors replaced the faded chipped paint. The site has two unique and wonderful structures designed and built by University of Washington College of Architecture students that complete the campus transformation.
Project leaders began by inviting the school community to participate in development of a site plan funded by the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, and designed by Allworth Nussbaum. It took 7 years, more than 400 volunteers, along with ten major donors to complete the project. Click here to view a PDF of the Highlights of the campus transformation.
The Ladies Musical Club
www.lmcseattle.org/
This club, the oldest arts organization in Seattle, is committed to providing performance and hands-on musical experience in Seattle Public Schools. They focus on six schools each year and serve South Shore Pk-8. Through their support of the UW Meany World Series Artists in Schools program, they bring the world into the classroom. In addition they offer a fabulous selection of local artists to schools, including the Garfield High School Jazz Band.
The University of Washington Meany World Series
Each year, the UW offers Seattle the opportunity to meet up-and-coming and renowned performers from around the world. As part of the UW commitment to community outreach, the World Series makes their performers available to Seattle schools and invites school children to special performances just for them. They partner with the Ladies Musical Club to fund, schedule and host the artists-in-residency at schools. T.T. Minor students will long remember the world-class performances of classical pianist Leon Bates, the Marion Anderson String Quartet, the Pacifica String Quartet, the Ahn Trio, a Nomadic Group from Mali and performers from the young, energetic Taiko Project.
South Shore PK-8
The UW Center for Environment, Education and Design Studies (CEEDS)
ceeds.caup.washington.edu/
The building posed an interesting design dilemma to those who were preparing for its opening in Sept. 2002. Originally designed as an open concept school for 6th - 8th graders, the building had an empty warehouse feeling—not a welcoming place for its new four and five year old students. The New School Foundation turned to the University of Washington Center for Environment, Education and Design Studies (CEEDS), a department of the College of Architecture, for help. They convened a group of about fifty UW professors and students of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Industrial Design, WSU Interior Design students, professionals in the community, and southeast Seattle neighbors for an intense weekend charrette, or community design process. The results were fun and creative, setting the right welcoming feel for the new residents.
http://www.caup.washington.edu/about/newsletter/2003_winter.pdf - article about CEEDS work at South Shore School
