Community Partner : Baltimore City Public Schools , Office of Family and Community Engagement Intern : Andrea Guillén Site Supervisor : Monique Simms
What is the BCPS Office of Family and Community Engagement ? The Baltimore City Public Schools Office of Family and Community Engagement implements and supports district policies , practices , and opportunities that enable families and community partners to engage with schools ; mobilizes and aligns public , private , and philanthropic resources within identified neighborhoods and school communities ; helps coordinate responses to the community around issues and concerns ; and provides ombudsman services for resolving concerns and complaints .
Reviewed , evaluated , and provided suggestions for the City Schools volunteer policy , program , and website Supported summer partnership programs by streamlining partner data and advocating for the PIE portal Reviewed , streamlined data , and prepared surveys on collegiate tutoring programs with City Schools Developed , created graphics for , and lead presentations on the Back-to-School Brigade , Community Outreach Corps , and Family Festivals in preparation for Back to School
The theme of my summer has been self-sufficiency . Supporting City Schools has meant working for a large network of district offices , school staff , and community partners to leverage resources in support of students . Working towards self-sufficiency , whether that be an automated volunteer registration process or maintaining records of community contacts , allows for that network to thrive on its own so that staff can focus on new projects and connecting with community members . It was also my summer ' s theme because I also had to learn to be self-sufficient : organizing asynchronous tasks , self-motivating , and taking the initiative to explore new ideas .
When I had my first " Policy War Room ," I was warned I would be leading the meeting twenty minutes before it started . In my otherwise calm and consistent work , I thought this was a fluke . Oh , was I wrong , but I cannot imagine anything else to have involved myself in this summer . With Back-to-school right around the corner , my days were filled with new projects with fast turnarounds , multiple stakeholders , and lots and lots of spreadsheets . My desktop looks like it belongs to someone who doesn ’ t know how to create a folder , and don ' t even ask about my Google Drive . My projects were continuously being updated - whether that be a change in wording , an idea from someone in a different office , a regulation we forgot to keep in mind , COVID-19 safety policies , or a new inquiry from a community partner , and every update worked towards the goal of self-sufficiency . I was excited to work with City Schools because I am interested in a career in school administration . What has maintained my excitement for it was spending the summer peeling back the complex layers of the City Schools . The network introduces diverse perspectives from diverse stakeholders into the conversation that I have loved working with and have supported me in producing extensive and impactful work . I am thrilled to have worked with an amazing , dedicated , and creative team at City Schools that not only excited me about school administration but also continuously reminded me about prioritizing community networks in any work I do .
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