While developing the new CPS Civic Life Vision, we learned that all stakeholder desired a more efficient and transparent method of tracking, connecting, and aligning school and classroom based partnerships under quality and equity goals. We developed an interactive partner directory and map to fill this need. This tool will help CPS educators identify and connect to community partners that align to and enrich Civic Life Powerful Practices, Social Science curriculum and instruction, Financial Education, and Environmental justice education.

Our Partner Directory lists all SSCE Community Partners and their profiles. The Community Map however, identifies classroom and school-based partnerships. That means relationships in which partners and teachers or administrators work closely together to support classroom instruction and/or the school’s improvement goals. The partner map does not track resource or curriculum use, rather is intended to identify partners that offer more direct support that is designed to meet unique school or student needs.

Partners range from professionals, community-based organizations, government officials, researchers, universities, private-sector corporations, and more. At a time where it may be difficult to connect with civic life community partners, this tool is a valuable resource to enrich students’ education within and outside of the classroom.

Partner Types

• Professional Development: Provides CPS teachers and administrators with access to professional development - can be workshops, events, coaching, courses, etc.
• Experiential Learning, Classroom: Provides instructional enrichment experiences that can be leveraged by teachers within their curriculum. This includes project support or Call To Action Questions, guest speakers, events, or consulting and coaching.
• Experiential Learning, OST & OCT: Provides enrichment experiences that can be leveraged in in out of school time (OST) or out of class time (OCT). This includes projects or Call To Action Questions, clubs, committees, councils, working groups, events, or consulting and coaching.
• Curriculum Providers: Provides comprehensive, standards-aligned curriculum that is aligned to CPS and SSCE goals and values, and meets the criteria in our curriculum rubrics
• Curricular Enrichment Providers: Provides individual lessons, strategies, and tools that can be used by teachers or students to supplement and enrich core curriculum.

For Educators:

In the interactive directory, educators can filter their search by program type, powerful practice, partner types, and grade level. Search results will show the community partners that match and include their profile details and CPS schools in which they serve in (if applicable).

For Community Partners:

In this interactive directory, the Partner Profile Form can be used to update your information on the map.

If you are a current community partner and you would like to update your partner profile, please fill out the Partner Profile Form. This form includes the following sections:

• name of partner
• description
• contact information (website, address, main person contact)
• program type (enter the program type(s) that matches the partnership between your organization and the department)
• grade level served
• schools served (identify which schools your organization works with directly (students and/or educators) - ONLY check off the schools in which you have an approved volunteer and/or a vendor status for)
• powerful practices (identify which powerful practice your organization is credentialed in)
• services provided
• core areas