Often what is discussed during the cultural exchange segment of the session will be carried back for further conversation among learning pairs or small groups during the remainder of the session. Community projects are essential to JAS' commitment to active citizenship. Working with the Neighborhood House and other community organizations, JAS learning circles have worked together to create a community farming project, a mural, an education initiative at the local high school, a health project, and a community-wide celebration known as the West Side Freedom Festival. Beneficiary of Services Latino and Hmong residents of St. Paul's West Side neighborhood, students and professors of the University of Minnesota and the College of St. Catherine, students of Humboldt High School, and other community members affiliated with the Neighborhood House and the Center for Democracy and Citizenship at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute. In keeping with its commitment to non-hierarchical, democratic practices, the Jane Addams School does not have a Board of Directors or any other kind of governing body.
All participants have equal authority in designing and suggesting projects for the organization.
The group of 8 initial cofounders also meets on occasion to ensure that the school continues to adhere to its mission and values, but not to make decisions about the school's direction. The roles of individuals within JAS are determined by their own needs, abilities, and interests. The four institutions involved in JAS all have the capacity to act as fiscal agents. While no one of them may claim ownership of JAS, they all contribute to the financial needs of the school. Thus, any collaborating institution may treat JAS as a program for funding purposes, despite the ultimate independence of the school from any particular institution.