Last month, the fourth annual Utah Community Schools Convening hosted by the Utah Coalition for Community Schools gathered 131 partners at O.C. Tanner to network and learn strategies for improving education outcomes. Attendees included representatives from across sectors including teachers, administrators, and Community Schools staff from multiple school districts, nonprofit and community partners, local government officials, and health care professionals. 

Throughout the day, attendees heard updates from the Coalition, celebrated Community Schools bright spots, gained insights from a moderated panel discussion with subject matter experts, and took a deeper dive into Community Schools strategies during eight breakout sessions. Although these sessions and presentations featured a wide variety of topics, many common themes and through-lines tie them together—all reinforcing the transformative power of Community Schools to support Utah kids and families. 

Building Comprehensive Wraparound Supports 

Many of the sessions at the convening emphasized the importance of comprehensive wraparound supports for students and their families. Access to basic needs resources like food, transportation, and health care allows students to show up focused and ready to learn, and ensures families have the resources they need to support their child’s education. 

Destiny DeHerrera is the Community Schools Coordinator at Odyssey Elementary School in Ogden School District. She gave a presentation about the Odyssey Family Center embedded in the school, serving as a community hub where students and their families can come to have their basic needs met with ease and dignity. In addition to providing on-site resources like hygiene supplies, shower and laundry facilities, a food and clothing pantry, and kitchen, the Family Center collaborates with community partners to provide vision screenings, dental services, immunization clinics, free haircuts, and more.  

Another presentation explored how school-based health care removes barriers to learning for students at West High School. A panel of doctors and practitioners discussed the partnership between Salt Lake City School District and University of Utah Health to open the West High School Clinic. The on-site clinic provides acute and chronic care, vision and hearing screenings, immunizations, sports physicals, mental health services, and more to keep students healthy and ready to learn. This school-based approach removes barriers related to coordinating transportation, eases the financial burden of medical care, and prevents students and families from missing a whole day of school or work to attend an appointment.  

It’s clear that focusing solely on classroom instruction is not enough. Comprehensive wraparound supports are critical for boosting student success and wellbeing, reducing barriers to learning, and improving education outcomes. 

Aligning Systems for Student Success 

Another theme that emerged throughout the convening was the importance of collaborating across sectors and creating alignment to support student success. When partners share accountability and align around common goals and indicators, we can transform the education landscape and ensure students have the opportunity to reach their full potential. 

Lauren Levorsen, School Alignment and Data Specialist at the Utah Afterschool Network, and Danielle Latta, Afterschool Programs Manager at Salt Lake County Youth Services shared a presentation highlighting the importance of aligning out-of-school time supports with school-day curricula. When this alignment is strong, students who participate in out-of-school time programs can receive additional supports that complement and reinforce the learning that takes place in the classroom.  

Promise Partnership Utah backbone team members Kelly Noorda and Julie Liston presented about strategies to improve alignment between early learning and K-12 systems to support kindergarten readiness. This alignment ensures families and early childhood education providers can help Utah’s young children develop the skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. “It really is important that we all work together to help kids get ready for school,” Noorda said. “It’s not up to one program, it’s not up to the parents, it’s not up to preschool, or childcare…it really takes a village to make sure that children are ready for kindergarten and that they’re successful throughout that time.” 

In another session, Utah State Rep. Karen Peterson and Elizabeth Garbe, Vice President of Public Policy for the Promise Partnership Utah backbone team, discussed strategies for creating alignment at the systems level and building support for Community Schools within local governments. For example, the passage of SB 241 during the 2026 legislative session sets a statewide goal of 80% of Utah’s third-grade students reading on grade level by 2030 and provides funding and supports for early literacy initiatives to reach that goal.  

All of these sessions underscored how much more effectively we can support students and families when cross-sector partners align around shared goals, shared data, and shared accountability for education outcomes. 

Fostering A Culture of Belonging in Schools 

The third key takeaway from the convening is the importance of building and maintaining a culture of safety and belonging for students and families in Community Schools. When students and their families feel like they belong and feel safe, connected, and engaged in the school community, they are more likely to thrive and be successful both in and out of the classroom. 

Lincoln Elementary School Social Worker Jennifer Stone and Community School Coordinator Jennifer Smith shared how Project CREST (which stands for Creating Resilient Students) seeks to increase family engagement, create a sense of shared ownership, and ensure families feel connected to the school community and engaged in their child’s education. Stone and Smith emphasized that the most important thing is that the kids in school know you and trust you. “At Lincoln, we have kids literally from all over the world speaking dozens of languages,” Stone said. “One of the coolest things about building this network in the school is building community around these families. … As Project CREST grows, we’re able to build those solid relationships and a stronger foundation in our community.” 

In a panel discussion moderated by Ciriac Alvarez Valle, Senior Policy Analyst at Voices for Utah Children, attendees learned about strategies for supporting undocumented students. The panel featured immigration attorney Ysabel Lonazco, Associate Director of the University of Utah Dream Center Raquel Cetz, and Assistant Director of the Salt Lake Community College Dream Center Brenda Santoyo, M.Ed. These subject matter experts helped attendees understand the different types of immigration statuses that students and families may hold. They gave an overview of legal resources and other available supports and discussed the obstacles that undocumented students face such as accessing financial aid and higher education opportunities.  

Whether through building meaningful family engagement, providing resources for refugee students and new Americans, or supporting undocumented students, fostering a culture of safety, belonging, and care can make a world of difference for students and families in Community Schools. 

Get Involved 

The 2026 Utah Community Schools Convening provided the opportunity for partners from across sectors to come together and learn about advancing the Community Schools model in our state. Thank you to everyone who attended the convening, to the presenters who shared their knowledge and expertise, and to the planning committee on the Utah Coalition for Community Schools.  

If you would like to learn more about the Community Schools framework or get involved with the Utah Coalition for Community Schools, please visit the Coalition webpage or contact uccs@promisepartnership.org.  

Written by Jenna Fischer, Content Strategist