MANCHESTER, N.H.- At Beech Street School and Gossler Park School, the school day extends far beyond the classroom walls.
A student learns how to ride a bicycle after school. A parent attends free English classes. A family picks up groceries from a school food pantry or receives clothing through Catie’s Closets. Another student gets access to vision services without ever leaving campus. These everyday moments reflect the growing impact of the Full-Service Community Schools initiative, a nationally recognized model that has transformed two Manchester schools into hubs of support for students and families.
Just two years into the project, Beech Street and Gossler Park are already seeing the benefits of a model built on one simple idea: when schools and communities work together, students have more opportunities to succeed.
“Community schools are unique because they provide services that many students and families otherwise may not have access to,” said Loren Robidas, Community Schools Facilitator at Beech Street School.
Full-Service Community Schools are public schools designed to support children not only academically, but emotionally, developmentally, and socially as well. By integrating family support, health care, social services, and community development, the model builds a bridge between schools, families, and the community. The District partnered with Manchester Proud in 2023 to secure the initial five-year grant that launched the initiative.
At the heart of the program is collaboration.
“Community schools have community partners who help with community resources while working towards one goal, supporting students and their families,” said Angela Leach, Community Schools Facilitator at Gossler Park. “We help boost student achievement, reduce absenteeism and provide families with essential resources like health care and adult education.”
That network of support continues to grow.
Through partnerships with Amoskeag Health, students have access to vision services. School-based food pantries and Catie’s Closets provide essential food and clothing for families on campus. The International Institute of New England offers free adult ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes, while organizations including Manchester Proud, SEE Science Center, UNH4H, and Granite YMCA of Manchester provide additional resources and services that remove barriers to learning and help students and families thrive.
Local businesses have also become an important part of the effort. Fidelity, Hannaford, and Catholic Medical Center support the District’s community schools by supplying food, clothing, and hygiene products, hosting virtual field trips for students, and helping parents connect with available services.
“Community partnerships are essential, they make it possible to provide services and opportunities at little to no cost to the school,” said Robidas. “Without these collaborations, many of these supports simply would not exist.”
Those partnerships also create opportunities that leave lasting impressions. Families can participate in a cooking class offered through a partnership with the New Hampshire Food Bank and the 21st Century Afterschool Program. Children can learn how to ride a bicycle—life skills they and their families will carry with them long after they leave Beech Street and Gossler Park.
“Our Full Service Community School community partners meet students’ needs in and beyond the classroom so they can thrive, empowering families with resources and strengthening the entire community,” said Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Leslie Whitney.
As the initiative continues to grow, so does the vision behind it. District leaders hope to expand the Community School model to additional schools, bringing these supports and opportunities to even more families across the city.
For Leach, the success of the program comes down to the connections it creates every day.
“I love meeting new partners in the community and connecting the school with community resources. Sometimes the small things end up being the big things for our students,” said Leach. “Manchester has so much to offer, especially when we all work together for the betterment of students and families.”