As part of the new K-8 school in Parramore scheduled to open in Fall 2017 in downtown Orlando, UCF is working with Orange County Public Schools and the Children’s Home Society of Florida to develop a community school on the site.
The new Parramore school will be adjacent to UCF’s proposed campus in downtown Orlando, and UCF faculty, staff and students are excited about the possibilities to partner with Orange County Public Schools and other community partners on the project.
Community schools differ from traditional public school models because they involve partnerships within the community to address complex challenges and expand opportunities for children’s success. They offer extended services, such as health and mental health services that operate year round, and involve parents and other community members in school planning. UCF already works with several partners at the nearby Evans Community School.
To help with planning the community school in Parramore, a group from UCF and Orange County Public Schools recently traveled to the headquarters of the National Center for Community Schools (NCCS).
You can read more about the NCCS trip on its website.
To get involved with the Parramore community school project, please contact Nancy Ellis, the Director for the Center for Community Partnerships in UCF’s College of Health and Public Affairs.