They bring potential partners to the table to consider ways that schools can connect to the community at large. They set up formal procedures for working with partners, while keeping the doors open for new partnerships that promise to benefit both the school and the community. A process exists for the school to identify needs and resources available for community collaborations. Technology is used to support meaningful, useful interactions and partnerships between the school and communities, local and global. The following are several indicators of strong community linkages.
Partnerships develop through a formal process.
As much as education organizations have worked to make the best use of technology to enhance student achievement, so too have other sectors in communities everywhere. Libraries, nonprofit organizations, local governments, and small businesses are among the many entities striving to use technology as a tool for development, often with limited resources and a limited pool of trained personnel. With some effort at communication and coordination, schools and community organizations can work together to give students valuable experience in using their technology skills meaningfully in the community, while expanding opportunities for adult learning and training as well. Whether working with an existing coalition, such as the chamber of commerce, or forming a new business-education union, a formal means of setting up school partnerships paves the way for stronger, more fruitful alliances. Schools can identify areas of need and areas in which they can contribute.