Leadership magazine May/June 2015 V 44 No 5 | Page 19

learning in all classrooms includes allies from a network of like-minded organizations. Chrissy Califf, Words Alive Teen Services (www.wordsalive.org) program manager, said, “As a literacy non-profit providing an integrated curriculum within the classroom, a partnership of which there is a shared vision, purpose and end goal is critical for the success of the program. Additionally, consistent communication, mutual consideration and flexibility within the implementation of the program are vital to ensure both parties provide an effective, dynamic and impactful product.” Knowing that we can tap into and also provide such support to colleagues ourselves enriches JCCS and strengthens our program to benefit our students’ success and replicate our models. We employ intentional strategies to ensure the greatest likelihood that Intergenerational component Cultivating networks means relying on the skills, knowledge, expertise and perspectives of others. “There’s a diversity of strong allies supporting the gardening program and this will help sustain it over time. But there’s also an intergeneration component that’s really wonderful and I think enhances it for the youth involved,” said Joni Gabriel, UC Master Gardener and JCCS Career Technical Education teacher. Gabriel said that “Master Gardeners who volunteer for the program, for example, bring not only their gardening expertise and a connection to the University of California Cooperative Extension, but also their years of working in an array of professions and their experiences as parents and grandparents. They offer a perspective on the world and a type of relationship the youth may not have experienced before. Plus, they bring fresh ideas to the program that will help it evolve and adapt as it grows.” Network resources Depending on the particular need of our students, staff and organization, we have networks that provide technical expertise in areas such as program logic models and case studies, operations and organizational systems, instructional strategy, coaching, curriculum development and leadership capacity. Each network provides resources, materials, opportunities for consultation with an expert or mentor, data analysis support, and people who have a common and shared experience. memorandums of understanding that specifically name the roles, responsibilities, success criteria and impact we expect all parties to demonstrate as a result of the partnership. • Celebrate it: Name and share the specific practices and behaviors that result in success from, between and across the networks. We post pictures of students, staff and their work, create videos of “voices from the field,” ensure that students and staff lead the conversation and develop presentations, and have teachers and