Community Partnerships: Reaching All Students with Shore Educational Collaborative
At Citizen Schools, we believe in the brilliance of every student—and in the power of partnerships to unlock that brilliance. When educators, communities, and organizations come together to provide meaningful, real-world learning experiences, students not only engage more deeply—they thrive. Through hands-on projects, leadership opportunities, and a platform to showcase their ideas, students are empowered to dream big, act boldly, and create change that matters.
In order to reach all students who deserve a high quality education, Citizen Schools partners with schools, districts, organizations and coalitions like Shore Educational Collaborative. Shore is one of 24 educational collaboratives across Massachusetts, and provides public, special education services to students from preschool to age 22. This year, we are proud to be working alongside 15 Shore educators to design and deliver Experience-Based Learning projects that center student voice, creativity, and purpose.
What follows are just a few of the incredible stories emerging from this collaboration—stories that illustrate how students, when given the tools and trust to lead, become powerful agents of change in their schools and communities.
Matthew Silberhorn’s class showcased their efforts to support the dietary needs of students with severe disabilities. They shared their experiences interviewing other students and the steps it took to prepare and serve the food. The class presented what they learned about the work it takes to support others, but their biggest take away was the friendships they built with the students they served.
Michael Veneziano’s project was to advocate for students with severe disabilities, like the students in his class, to be allowed to participate in school sports games. His class was full of energy and buzzing about their experience participating in their school’s basketball game. During the showcase they talked about how some of them worked on ticketing while others created banners. One student was an announcer and another score keeper. 2 students from the class were allowed to join the team for the day and even got to play! They were thrilled to show us all of the videos and artwork!
One of Jake Kessler’s students made a return to the school building after 4 years of schooling off campus to share their final project! For their showcase the student presented a development stage of a Youtube channel they created to educate viewers on queer history and LGBTQIA+ rights. This student had a strong collaboration with the volunteers and credited them for their assistance in planning. This topic was very personal, and Jake was proud to share that the student took full agency over the project!
Celebrating Student Voice, Elevating Possibility
These student projects are more than school assignments—they’re reflections of compassion, advocacy, creativity, and courage. From promoting inclusion in sports, to creating spaces for underrepresented voices, to building meaningful relationships through service, these young leaders are showing us what’s possible when they are given the chance to shape their own learning journeys.
As we continue through the 2024–25 school year, we look forward to celebrating even more student-led successes and continuing to support classrooms where every learner is seen, heard, and empowered to lead.
To learn more about Shore Educational Collaborative, click here.
If you’d like to explore partnership opportunities with Citizen Schools, or know someone who does, please click here!
Citizen Schools, Inc.
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Managing Director of Philanthropy: Jessica Davila
Mission
Citizen Schools empowers schools, districts, and communities to work together to create and sustain authentic experience-based learning opportunities.
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Citizen Schools’ approach to education aligns with principles of student-centered learning, community engagement, and equity that are essential components of effective teaching. Citizen Schools incorporates project-based learning into its programs, where students work on extended projects that require critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. Additionally, this work is done in partnership with local professionals and resources in our own community, providing opportunities for mentorship, networking, and exposure to diverse career paths. This helps our students extend their education beyond the classroom and connect to the broader community.
Help Spur Innovation and Life-Changing Opportunities in Education
Over the past 28 years, Citizen Schools has engaged over 50,000 middle school students in hands-on, relevant, experiential learning, collaborating with 650 educators nationwide to help transform the traditional classroom model.
Citizen Schools partners with underperforming public schools to transform classrooms into vibrant spaces of learning and discovery. These life-changing opportunities become possible with classroom sponsorship.
A donation of $5,000 supports up to five classrooms, provides five teachers with year-long program enrollment, and trains at least 15 career mentors, ultimately impacting the lives of up to 500 students.
Key Supporters
MacKenzie Scott
AmeriCorps
Siegel Family Endowment
Microsoft
Dell
Fidelity
Liberty Mutual Foundation
The William H. Donner Foundation
The Baupost Group
All Points North Foundation