University-Assisted Community Schools Regional Training Centers

From 1994-2004, the Center received funding from foundations and the federal government to promote the replication of the university-assisted community school model. Twenty-three higher educational institutions received funding and another 75 institutions were trained on the model.

Part of the Netter Center endowment is designated to fund regional training centers on university-assisted community schools on three-year cycles. University of Oklahoma-Tulsa served as the site of the first regional training center, beginning in 2008. Tulsa partners continue to convene the Higher Education Forum, an anchor institution consortium comprised of nine higher educational institutions and other partners. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) was selected as the second regional training center in 2011. IUPUI’s Midwest Center for University-Assisted Community Schools works in a multi-state area that includes Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Kentucky. University of Connecticut was selected as the third regional training center in fall 2014 and has established the New England University-Assisted Community School Collaborative. UCLA began its work as the fourth regional training center in fall 2017 with establishment of the UCLA Center for Community Schooling, a new campus-wide initiative to advance university-assisted community schools. Binghamton University, part of the State University of New York (SUNY), was selected in fall 2020 as the fifth regional trainer center and will provide technical assistance across New York and New Jersey.

The Request For Proposals for the sixth regional center was released on March 7th, 2023 and is due May 1st, 2023.

Carol Polifroni (UConn) and Jim Grim (IUPUI) leading workshop at Netter Center's UACS Conference