Community Education, the educational philosophy that underlies community schools, advocates the creation of opportunities for community members — individuals, schools, businesses, and public and private organizations — to become partners in addressing community needs. Community education is most easily recognized in the community school, a facility that is open beyond the traditional school day for the purpose of providing academic, recreation, health, social service, and work-preparation programs for people of all ages.
The Community Education Director, often working at the school district level, typically oversees facility use and numerous programs and activities, including but not limited to the following: parent education programs, family resource centers, and parent involvement initiatives; school-to-work, also called school-to-career or work preparation programs; alternative schools for those whose needs are not met in the regular school; mentoring programs; teen pregnancy prevention; substance abuse and violence prevention activities; school-age child care and extended learning programs; community service and service learning activities; enrichment programs for all community members; literacy and English-as-a-Second-Language programs; and Adult Basic Education and Graduate Equivalency Diploma programs.
He or she is adept at working with community members to identify community needs and the resources available to meet them. Facilitating cooperation and collaboration among those in control of the resources is another skill required of the Director, as is leadership training, strategic planning, communications, public relations, and program evaluation, among others.
Community education has three basic components:
