Chapter 2: On the Level: Local Networks Creating Deeper and More Equitable School-Community Partnerships

I was a freelance reporter for a local newspaper the first time I thought about working with children and youth. I was covering a town council meeting, and someone stood up and spoke about the need for “at-risk” kids to have something to do after school. After the meeting I approached that person with an idea to create a community newspaper written by youth for youth. A few conversations later, I received a $3,000 grant to partner with the Town’s Turn-On Youth Coalition and the Municipal Alliance Committee Substance Abuse Task Force to run the paper. The Turn-On Youth Coalition’s role was “to advise the Mayor regarding coordination and integration of community plans and services which affect youth; provide a forum for discussion of issues related to youth; and sponsor programs to benefit youth” (Town of Piscataway, 2017, p. 7). Members of the Coalition were diverse and included representatives from the Mayor’s office, municipal agencies, school districts including a teacher or school counselor and two students, businesses, citizens of the community, and mental health professionals. The Municipal Alliance Committee worked with schools and community partners to reduce alcohol and drug abuse (Town of Piscataway, 2017).