City Connects
Grant Size: $3,510,000 (1st grant $2.0m; 2nd grant $1.5m)
Grantee Since: 2007
Grant Objective: Scale organization, capacity building, evaluation.
The mission of City Connects (CCNX) is to have children engage and learn in school by connecting each child with the tailored set of prevention, intervention and enrichment services he or she needs to thrive.
City Connects’ mission is accomplished through a cost-efficient, school-based intervention that leverages the services and resources of the city’s community agencies. Rich as these community services are, they are most effective when they are tailored to the individual needs of each and every student. A full-time student support professional in each school:
• works with teachers and others to assess strengths and needs of every student in key areas of development;
• identifies a unique support plan for each student and connects the student to a set of tailored support services;
• develops partnerships with community agencies to secure needed services and enrichment opportunities;
• tracks individual support plans electronically for each student; and
• follows up to assure service delivery and effectiveness.
This highly efficient and effective program leverages existing services in a city and has shown statistically significant impact on student achievement in reading, math, student engagement and behavior – especially for boys and children who speak English as a second language. Most notably, the positive impact of CCNX on student performance is greater than the negative effects of poverty.