Improving Opportunities for Bridging Social Capital: The Story of a Full-Service Community School Initiative at an Alternative High School

Abstract

This article describes the collective efforts educators and multiple community partners are taking to transform one alternative urban high school into a full-service community school. The article presents preliminary findings on the opportunities for bridging social capital that the full-service initiative has created and the impacts such opportunities have for students in urban alternative settings with multiple risk factors stacked against them.

Key words:

• alternative schools
• at-risk students
• community partnerships
• full-service community schools
• social capital
• urban education

Additional information

Funding

This study is supported in part by a contract awarded by the city where the Advance Academy is located through the Full-Service Community School initiative grant received from the U.S. Department of Education. Opinions reflect those of the authors and not necessarily of the funders.