Comegys Community School

Comegys Community School

@ Benjamin B. Comegys Elementary School

5100 Greenway Ave.

Philadelphia, PA 19143

Program Description:

Comegys Community School

Comegys Community School is a partnership between Benjamin B. Comegys Elementary School of the School District of Philadelphia and the University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS) program operated by the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania. Comegys Community School (CCS) senior staff is responsible for developing and operating out-of-school-time (OST) programming at Lea Elementary, including the after-school program and the summer program. CCS receives significant support from Public Health Management Corporation and the federal 21^st Century Learning Center grant for its programming, and also works closely with the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. CCS is working towards becoming a dynamic community school that provides quality programs that address the academic and social needs and interests of our scholars and families, and which is intricately integrated into Comegys Elementary School and the surrounding community.

The success of Comegys Community School lies in its commitment to living up to its name – to create a space where children, youth, and adults can come together in the spirit of community to explore what can be achieved and what is possible through education, service, and a sense of common purpose – and thus to truly become an institution made of, for, and by the community it serves. The program’s director and coordinators serve as liaisons between the school-day, out-of-school-time programs, and the community, in a variety of ways – serving on the school’s Leadership Team and its subcommittees (Climate, Curriculum & Instruction, and Organizational Management); meeting with school-day faculty, administrators, and Penn partners to discuss the academic, social, and behavioral development of students; assisting in the development of school-wide initiatives, including the Positive Behavior Support Initiative; and engaging parents and family members via the Community Advisory Board (comprised of CCS staff and parents/family/community members), individual family conferences, regular family meetings, parent workshops, and special events. CCS staff is comprised of community members, University of Pennsylvania students, school-day faculty, and parents. CCS programming focuses not only on developing the academic and social skills of our scholars, but also on developing a sense of community and service amongst all who serve within or are served by CCS. Like its scholars, Comegys Community School is young and has much to offer. Like our scholars, our future is bright, with no limits on what we can achieve together.

After-School Program

The after-school program serves 100 children, Monday through Friday, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm during the academic year (9/16/13 to 6/20/14). The programmatic focus of the after-school program centers on experiential education curricula based on project-based learning activities and academic enrichment. Scholars work with After-School Teachers to develop and drive projects that provide opportunities for scholars to learn through research, collaboration, and experience, while lessons and activities focus on interactive, hands-on, and student-driven ways of learning. Project-based learning activities are based on a variety of themes, including civic service, social justice, health & nutrition, ecology, environmental awareness, science, communications & media, technology, entrepreneurship, the arts, sports & play, martial arts, character education, life skills development, and teambuilding. Academic enrichment focuses on homework help with corresponding literacy and math lessons that are informed by and compliment school-day learning, and which are developed by After-School Teachers based on scholars’ daily homework assignments. Field trips and half-day programming (12:00 pm to 6:00 pm on district mandated early dismissal half days) are also provided. Other program partners and highlights include: Community School Student Partnerships are student-run organizations at the University of Pennsylvania that recruit, train, and mobilize Penn students to serve as mentors and tutors for scholars. Family Meetings are held once a month and serve as a forum to inform families about current and upcoming program developments and special events, share class and individual accomplishments, organize guest speakers and workshops for parents and families, and to provide a space to discuss issues that affect scholars, families, the school, and the community.