These resources include people who volunteer their time in the school, organizations that offer enrichment opportunities, businesses that offer career-related information and workplace experiences, and agencies that provide various social services for students and families.
Communities too are rich in untapped resources that can benefit children.
Schools that are committed to developing students' critical thinking skills and real-world applications of knowledge as well as providing necessary services and enrichment activities need to forge new relationships with the community to improve student learning. At the same time, by structuring schools to meet the broader needs of the students' families through the provision of noneducational services, teachers and administrators are opening their doors to the broader community and explicitly expressing their desire to help community members. Thus, restructuring in these ways can both bring the school to the community and attract the community to the school. Because the relationship is reciprocal, the school also can become a resource for families and community members. They also are much more likely to have bond issues approved.