Five organizations, including three Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs) are winners of 2009 Partnership Organization Awards from the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University. Organizations in NNPS work in varied ways—some work at the state level and others assist districts and/or schools with their partnership programs. All are expected to support some districts and some schools with their work on partnerships, and encourage the districts and schools they work with to join NNPS to be part of the national agenda.
Each partnership award winner submitted descriptions of their leadership activities and actions taken to help district leaders and school ATPs build their knowledge and their programs of family and community involvement. These activities are part of the organizations’ written Leadership Action Plans for Partnerships (also submitted), as outlined in the NNPS School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, Third Edition (2009, Corwin Press). The activities showed how the leadership, teamwork, funding, and support from colleagues helped the organization conduct their work well.
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Arizona State Parental Information Resource Center (PIRC), Gilbert, AZ Jenni Brasington, Project Director; |
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*Francis Marion University Center of Excellence, Florence, SC* Markey Bee, Project Manager and |
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Maryland State PIRC, Bethesda, MD Susan Shaffer, Executive Director. |
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North Dakota State PIRC, Minot, ND Cathy Haarstad, Executive Director; Betty Bostow, Former Project Director. |
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Starting Point, Cleveland, OH Catherine Thomas, Coordinator, Universal |