Community Foundation launches PLUS

From the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta:

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta announced a new pilot program dedicated to increasing parent voice in Atlanta Public Schools (APS) ultimately leading to greater student success. Parent Leaders United for Students, known as PLUS, is a grassroots parent engagement effort targeting the Carver, Douglass and Washington High School clusters, with a broader focus on all parents throughout the APS district.PLUS formed in response to research that shows that parents have the greatest potential to improve the education of their children through home, school and system-level participation. When parents are engaged with schools, children generally achieve better grades, test scores and attendance and show higher aspirations and motivation toward their education.

“PLUS is a vehicle that builds on the assets that parents, partners and communities bring to the table in order to create positive change,” said Tyronda Minter, director, Community Foundation. “PLUS seeks to remove obstacles by meeting parents where they are, working to increase active participation, communication and collaboration between parents, schools and communities.”

PLUS has three primary strategies:

1. PLUS Family School Community Partnership (FSCP): The partnership provides an effective family support strategy, initially launching in Boyd Elementary and Connally Elementary Schools. The schools will use Community Engagement Liaisons to engage and create Parent Action Groups that aim to boost parental interaction and collaboration with teachers and schools.
2. PLUS Academy: These learning sessions are open to the entire APS parent community and provide evidence-based courses that educate and empower parents to become leaders in their schools and communities.
3. PLUS Small Grants: Where commitment is high but resources are few, PLUS Grants will help parents and communities transform grassroots ideas and homegrown energy into projects that build relationships, change communities, develop leadership and produce lasting results. Grants range from $250 to $1,000. Grant applications can be found here.

PLUS is administered and powered by the Community Foundation and is privately funded by philanthropists who recognize the power that successful schools have to build strong communities, break cycles of poverty and help children achieve their dreams. Learn more at the Community Foundation’s website.

Image courtesy of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.