A broad-based partnership among schools, families, and the community exists for the purpose of designing and implementing the COZ Family Center Initiative. Partners have developed collaborative strategies for implementing the goals of the COZ, including formal linkages between partners. The COZ provides an arena for partners to share information on services and capacity in the community to avoid duplication and improve access for families.
Partners utilize their resources to meet the priorities of the school and community.
There are identified strategies to sustain the partnership. Strategies are used to engage members of the community who traditionally do not participate in planning. Community Priority and Needs 2. The services and programs of the COZ target the needs and priorities of the community. A comprehensive community needs, resources, and capacity assessment is conducted at least once every five years, focusing on the four areas of the COZ model - namely education, health, economic development, and family involvement and support.