Author Description

"Catherine Hands reports her study of educators and community partners in schools serving students and families with low incomes. She adds historic, geographic, scientific, and folkloric stories to deepen our understanding of the complex processes in establishing strong partnerships that will increase all students' learning, health, and well-being. Then-going further-she sets a bigger and broader agenda on school, family, and community partnerships for all of us to consider. Across chapters, the book grows in importance." -Joyce L. Epstein, Professor of Education and Director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships, Johns Hopkins University, USA "Dr. Hands' book makes a unique contribution to the field by highlighting the voices of diverse community stakeholders as they engage with the education sector. Hands' timely text offers insights into the challenges and possibilities inherent in collaborative relationships as participants navigate increasingly complex political landscapes." -Michael Evans, Associate Professor of Family, School, and Community Connections, Miami University, USA This book takes a comprehensive look at community engagement strategies in education to demonstrate the diverse nature of school-community relations and their value to promote their effective development. The author brings twenty years of experience in various educational settings in Ontario and California to examining community involvement policies and their interpretation, as well as school-community collaboration in practice. Chapters include recent research on school-community collaboration from the perspective of teachers, school district leaders, administrators, and support staff within two school districts in a low-income and culturally diverse urban community. The book also includes perspectives from community members involved in organizations across the city with a mandate to work with youth. In a time where students' academic, social, and emotional support