Our Work

The Community Success Institute:

• Conducts and publishes research related to the development of communities of trust in education in order to promote student success in at-risk communities

• Creates and provides proprietary software, processes, and tools to help at-risk communities establish educational communities of trust

• Identifies and trains fellows who conduct research under institute direction and who provide hands-on support to schools and communities in need

• Advocates for the development of communities of trust in education

Research

We are engaged in a multi-year research and advocacy project in an effort to promote and facilitate the creation of communities of trust in education which it believes are a critical component of student success in school and beyond. It builds tools and develops processes that support the formation and ongoing viability of such communities and publishes reports to educate about and advocate for this approach to student success.

There is a paucity of research and tools to support communities of trust in education. What little is available is not generally available for free. The institute aims to create such materials and develop related software tools and processes and to make these freely available via Creative Commons and similar licenses as applicable.

Software

The institute plans to develop software tools in three areas that are key to developing and implementing communities of trust in education:

• Student and family needs assessment

• Database of social, emotional, wellness and other service providers

• Informed consent

Fellowship Program

Under the direction of CSI staff, current and recent post-graduate students in design and public policy are sponsored by the institute to perform various aspects of its work, with the intent that they will at the same time provide short-term hands-on support and additional capacity to schools and organizations in underserved communities in the process.