• Who are Community Partners and Community Circle Members?

    Community Partners are organizations that provide ongoing services at no charge to one or more schools and the newly created Community Circle Members are organizations that provide in-kind or material items to a school on an infrequent basis. Saint Louis Public Schools are fortunate to have over 400 organizations that fall into these two categories that support our students and staff through a variety of services and programs that are all aligned with our Four Student Goal Areas:

    • Literacy
    • Math
    • College and Career Readiness
    • Student Health and Well-being

    How to become a Community Partner?

    Starting for School Year 2024-2025, all existing and prospective Community Partners will have to submit an RFQ (Request for Qualifications) that will detail what service your organization will provide, how many students you can serve, and other key information.  This submission will be reviewed by District and School Leaders and then the Development and Partnership Department will work directly with the organizations to create an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that will go in front of the School Board for final approval. For more information, please review the documents below.

    RFQ Application (New Partners Only)
    Important RFQ Information
    MOU Renewal (Only for partners returning from the 2024-2025 year)

    How to become a Community Circle Member?

    To become a Community Partner, organizations must submit a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) detailing the services they will provide, the number of students they can serve, and other key information. District and School Leaders will review these submissions, and the Development and Partnership Department will then work directly with the organizations to create a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for School Board approval. Organizations that submitted an RFQ in the 2024-2025 school year do not need to resubmit; they will only need to apply for an MOU renewal. For more information, please review the documents below.

     

    Additional Resources

    Partnership Handbook – A framework to building strong partnerships between schools and community-based organizations
    FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) – Here are some questions that Community Partners have had regarding the recent changes
    Community Partner Versus Community Circle – is a chart that can help organizations determine if they need to go through the RFQ process for Community Partners.  Please contact our Partnership Office with any questions
    Annual Partnership Review Conversation Guide is a tool for the community-based organization partner and the school leader who supports the partnership to reflect on the work that has been completed (to be completed at the end of a school year) – what worked, what didn’t, and how the partnership should move forward.

    By providing resources that strengthen partnerships between schools and community-based organizations, we aim in the long-term to achieve:

    • Students experience support in a seamless and coordinated way
    • Schools are well-resourced to respond in culturally responsive ways to meet student and family needs
    • School leaders feel confident that partnerships are effective, well-managed, and aligned with their instructional visions
    • Partnerships are grounded in reciprocal relationships and the goals of the district
    • Partners feel the support of the District and are well-informed

    The Saint Louis Public Schools and Development and Partnerships Department is grateful for the support of our colleagues and community partners who influenced the content, design, and implementation plan for the Partnership Handbook and other tools.

    For more information, please contact Erin Kane at erin.kane@slps.org.