Youth, Family & Community Engagement, Educator, and Community School Leaders
Among Honorees to be Presented National Leadership Awards
Washington, DC – April 4, 2018 – The Coalition for Community Schools, an initiative of the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), is proud to present several leadership awards to community school leaders who have made explicit that only by working together and focusing on equity will all children learn and thrive.
“All of the leadership awardees have dedicated themselves to courageously bringing others together in responding to the unique needs of their neighborhood and community members,” said José Muñoz, Director, Coalition for Community Schools. “As a result, children, youth, and adults are college, career, and civic-ready, going on to raise strong families and build healthier communities.”
The Community Schools Initiative Leadership Award will be presented to Jill Pereira, Vice President, Education for United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley (UWGLV). This award is presented to the individual with the overall responsibility of managing a system of community schools who has pushed their initiative to new heights over the past 3 to 5 years, made important contributions to their peers, and exemplifies equity and opportunity in their leadership.
“I share this honor with so many partners, principals, community school coordinators and school district leaders,” said Pereira. “A lot of creative minds come together in the Greater Lehigh Valley to propel the community-school model forward toward great results.”
Under Pereira’s leadership, the United Way Community Schools network has expanded to 24 schools with a $6 million investment. Her work has also helped advance grade-level reading across 125+ schools.
“This award is very well-deserved. The work that Jill does every day is critical. It’s helped thousands of children in the Lehigh Valley,” remarked David Lewis, UWGLV President.
The Coalition will present national leadership awards to a youth, national partner, superintendent, initiative leader, coordinator, family and community advocates, and educators at the Community Schools National Forum on May 2-4, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland.
For complete award descriptions and awardee profiles, please visit Community School Leadership Awards.
Mission of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
The mission of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley is to provide the leadership, convene the partnerships, and develop the resources and solutions that improve our community. We remain committed to these goals and sincerely appreciate the continued support of partners, program providers and donors throughout the Lehigh Valley. www.UnitedWayGLV.org
About Coalition for Community Schools
The Coalition for Community Schools, an initiative of the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), is an alliance of national, state and local organizations in education K-16, youth development, community planning and development, higher education, family support, health and human services, government, and philanthropy, as well as national, state, and local community school networks. The Coalition advocates for community schools as a strategy to leverage local resources and programs, changing the look and feel of the traditional school structure to best meet the needs of children and families in the 21st century.
About the Institute for Educational Leadership
For a half-century, the Institute for Educational Leadership has championed the need for leaders at all levels to shake off their institutional constraints and work across boundaries to address the needs of young people and their families. Bound by no constituency, IEL serves as a catalyst that helps policymakers, administrators, and practitioners at all levels to bridge bureaucratic silos and undo gridlock to improve outcomes for all young people and their families. The work of IEL focuses on three pillars required for young people and their communities to succeed: involving the broader community with public education to support the learning and development of young people; building more effective pathways into the workforce for all young people and supporting the transition to adulthood; and preparing generations of leaders with the know-how to drive collaborative efforts at all levels.
Information provided to TVL by:
Laura McHugh
Director, Communications and Media Relations
United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
Celebrating 100 years of service to the Lehigh Valley.
1110 American Parkway NE Suite F-120 Allentown, PA 18109
www.unitedwayglv.org
