Clarke County

Population: 128,671

Lead Implementing Partner (County-Level): Family Connection- Communities in Schools of Athens

Desired Outcomes:

• Increased school readiness and reading proficiency by the end of third grade
• Improve health and wellness, reduce childhood obesity, teen pregnancy, alcohol, and drug use
• Improve school success
• Improved safety and stability of children, youth, and families
• Reduced impacts of poverty on families, individuals, and neighborhoods

Collaborative Goals:

• Cross-system collaborative planning, overlap with Neighborhood Leaders program and Communities in Schools site coordinator
• Addressing COVID-19 impact
• Partnership with UGA
• Multi-year strategic plans for all strategy teams in early childhood, K-12 education, post-secondary and career development, health and wellness, safety and stability, and family/neighborhood, and community engagement

Family Connection-Communities in Schools of Athens facilitates collaborative planning across systems through a variety of programs, strategic action teams, and strategies that engage partners from nonprofits, local government, businesses, the faith-based community, school system staff, and families. This strategy creates a shared space to strengthen families and promote educational success in the Athens-Clarke County Community. In collaboration with Resilient Northeast Georgia’s trauma-informed communities initiative, Family Connection-Communities in Schools of Athens utilizes Resilient Northeast Georgia’s trauma awareness and prevention resources to bolster existing community trauma prevention initiatives and support the development of a trauma-informed and trauma-responsive community in Athens-Clarke County.

As a part of the Resilient Northeast Georgia coalition, Family Connection- Communities in Schools of Athens will work with community partners and Family Connection collaboratives expand trauma-informed and trauma-responsive community work throughout the region. A key part of this strategy will be achieved through the work of the strategic action teams and through training opportunities, both from Resilient Northeast Georgia and from other associated grant programs.

Listed below are some initiatives Family Connection- Communities in Schools of Athens is currently partnering with the community: