National Network of Partnership Schools

Lots of information on school/family/community involvement.  Learn about the six types of involvement, the keys to successful partnerships, and try out some of the best practices.  Your school and district can join the National Network of Partnership Schools!

Family Friendly Schools

Family Friendly Schools is dedicated to engaging families, communities and students in academic achievement.


Parents for Public Schools

Parents for Public Schools is a national organization of community-based chapters working in public schools. Through diversity and proactive involvement PPS works to ensure that "all schools effectively serve all children." Features lots of on-line resources and chapters in South Carolina.

 
The Initiative for South Carolina's Future
The Goals :
1. Collaborate with and support community groups in localities across the state who are addressing issues critical to the future of their communities and the state of South Carolina
2. Create an inventory of current research at all of the state universities on areas of state concern that might assist efforts in statewide or local groups
3. Create information repositories including websites that link users to research projects, case studies and other information from successful projects around the nation and world that might assist community groups in South Carolina to develop similar projects
4. Use the campuses of the state colleges and universities as sites for public discussion of the challenges that face the state over the next decade and as hosts for new or established local groups seeking community change
5. Build continuing partnerships among community groups, educational institutions and businesses in the state that will foster progressive change in communities across the state.

The mission of the National PTA is three-fold:  to support and speak on behalf of children and youth in schools, in the community and before governmental agencies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children; to assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children; and to encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation. Visit the South Carolina PTA website to learn more about what the PTA is doing in our state as well as on the national level.

The NCPIE mission is to advocate the involvement of parents and families in their children's education, and to foster relationships between home, school, and community to enhance the education of all our nation's young people.

NCPIE was founded in 1980 with funding from the Ford Foundation and Union Carbide. Participating organizations include parent organizations and advocacy groups as well as national education organizations representing teachers and administrators. The group meets monthly to monitor legislation, initiate projects, and share information and ideas about research, programs, and policies. The coalition seeks to serve as a visible representative for strong parent and family involvement initiatives at the national level, to conduct activities that involve the coalition's member organizations, affiliates and constituencies in efforts to increase family involvement, and to provide resources and legislative information that can help member organizations promote parent and family involvement.

Be There is a national movement that inspires parents to become more involved in their children's education.

Children need an adult to take a moment each day to recognize their existence, to make them feel special and loved, to Be There for them. It doesn't require additional resources of time or money--- just smiling at them, asking a question, making eye contact, including them in the daily routines of life. These simple actions will reap immense rewards at home, at play and at school.

How does Be There work?
Think of the highly visible "designated-driver when drinking," and "missing kids" campaigns. Their messages were everywhere - and their successes were measurable. In fact, according to The Ad Council, "Eighty-four percent of Americans recall having seen or heard a Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk public service announcement. Nearly 80 percent report they took action to prevent a friend or loved one from driving drunk, and 25 percent report they stopped drinking and driving as a result of the campaign." Those are significant results because millions of people were exposed to a powerful message over and over again. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, "If there's one thing health experts know, it's that you don't influence behavior by telling people what to do. You do it by exposing them to enough cases of people behaving well that it creates a new norm."

www.palmettoinstitute.org
Established in February 2002, the central mission and singular goal of the Institute is to create a business, community, political and educational climate that will produce dramatic and sustained growth in the creation, distribution and retention of wealth for every person in South Carolina, as measured by the per capita income of its citizens.

riley.furman.edu
The Richard W. Riley Institute of Government, Politics, and Public Leadership is a multi-faceted, non-partisan institute affiliated with the Department of Political Science at Furman University. Named for former Governor of South Carolina and United States Secretary of Education Richard Riley, the Institute is unique in the United States in the emphasis it places on engaging students in the various arenas of politics, public policy, and public leadership.

sti.clemson.edu
The Strom Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs is a Public Service Activity (PSA) of Clemson University. Established in 1981, the Institute conducts applied research and service in public policy areas at the local, regional, state and national levels.

www.palmettoproject.org
The mission of this program is to work to solve social and economic problems in South Carolina. This is achieved by working on healthcare, community and civic engagement, and youth/ education. The full list of projects under these categories is found on the website.