News & Highlights
Joy, Connection, and Community: A Carnival to Remember in Tulelake
On a warm August evening in Tulelake, the sound of laughter and live music drifted across the fields surrounding Tulelake Basin Elementary School. Families lined up for free hot dog dinners, kids darted between colorful booths, and the smell of popcorn and summer air made it feel like the whole town had come out to celebrate.
And in many ways, they had.
On August 14, the Tulelake Basin Joint Unified School District (TBJUSD), in partnership with the Modoc County Office of Education, hosted a Community Carnival that brought together over 300 attendees and more than 25 local agencies and businesses... click here to read more.
October 2025
Community School Coordinator 101: What I Wish I Knew in Hindsight
Before I dive in, I want to honor the teachers, coaches, and thinkers who have shaped my understanding of this work. The Be–Do–Have framework comes from my coach of three years, Wendy Amara, who generously shares these concepts without claiming credit and encourages their adaptation in ways that cultivate being-centered leadership. I also draw insight from the work of Brené Brown, Adam Grant, and other scholars and authors like Jim Kwik. I stand in solidarity with my comunidades and the Wiyot People, whose land I currently live, learn, work, and heal on. This piece acknowledges these contributions and releases any intellectual property of frameworks or ways of knowing shared here.
The community school framework can be simple. Simple is kind, and don’t confuse simple with easy.
When I first stepped into this work and role as community school coordinator at Loleta- a rural, single school district, I thought transformation would look like programs and plans. But real transformation lives in people. It unfolds through relationships, trust, and time. We’re learning, together, how to build communities and schools where every student, family, and staff member can experience belonging, agency, and wellbeing.
If I could time-travel back to my first day as a Community School Coordinator, here’s what I’d whisper to my younger self (and maybe to you too): .. click here to read more.
October 2025
Bright Spots in Butte County |
Connecting Families, Building Trust, and Celebrating Culture
Across Butte County, school districts are making incredible strides in student support, family engagement, and community connection. Two recent highlights showcase the power of whole-child strategies and the impact of the CCSPP grant’s four pillars: Integrated Student Supports, Family and Community Engagement, Collaborative Leadership, and Extended Learning Time. Paradise Unified: A national Model for Reducing Absenteeism and Gridley Unified: Wilson Elementary Families Celebrate Día de los muertos at CSU Chico... click here to read more.
October 2025
North Star Summit Award Winner: Peninsula Union School District |
This award celebrates a school or district that is boldly navigating the path toward becoming a thriving community school. With care, collaboration, and persistence, they are climbing toward the summit and embracing the full scope of the model. They are demonstrating what’s possible when students, families, educators, and partners move forward together...click here to read more.
September 2025
North Star Deep Roots Award Winner: Expect More Tehama |
This award honors a community-based organization whose work exemplifies authentic partnership, deep trust, and creative collaboration. Like the roots of a strong tree, their presence grounds and sustains the work of community schools. Their contributions nourish collective growth and reflect a long-term investment in students, families, and community well-being...click here to read more.
September 2025
Celebrating Success: The Impact of Community Schools in Siskiyou County |
On May 14th, the city of Yreka, California, was alive with music, creativity, and community as over 50 attendees gathered to celebrate...click here to read more.
May 2025
North Star schools featured in UCLA's Community Schooling Journal
Shasta COE is honored to be featured in UCLA's Center for Community Schools Journal... click here to read more.
August 2024
BrightLife Kids and Soluna
BrightLife Kids and Soluna are two innovative mental health apps,... click here to read more.
October 2024
Tulelake Is Ready For A Great School Year
Tulelake Basin Joint Unified School District celebrated the start of the new school year with a Back to School Carnival... click here to read more.
August 2024