Community Engagement Organizations

This page contains unmoderated information posted by teacher partners participating in the Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI).  The views expressed on this page are not necessarily those of ARSI or its staff, nor does ARSI necessarily endorse or recommend any information contained on this page.  Further, ARSI has no control over, and can not attest to the quality or suitability of, the content of web sites linked to from this page.

Public Education Network
http://www.publiceducation.org/
Learn how to become a member of PEN, and review its Ten-Point Framework and Five Policy Areas.

Phi Delta Kappa International
http://www.pdkintl.org/
Read select Phi Delta Kappan articles on-line, and view other bulletins and publications.

The National Parent Teacher Association
Read about a variety of PTA programs that encourage parents to participate in their children's education. http://www.pta.org/index.stm

National Association of Partners in Education
http://napehq.org/
Learn about NAPE's 12-step process to develop a successful partnership, and read about NAPE publications and its newsletter.

The Institute for Educational Leadership, Inc.
http://www.iel.org/
Find out more about IEL's more than 20 programs and partnerships, including those in leadership development and engagement.

Hand in Hand
Hand in Hand: Parents, Schools, Communities United for Kids
http://www.handinhand.org/
The Hand in Hand Initiative is a national campaign, sponsored by the Mattel Foundation and coordinated by the Institute for Educational Leadership, to foster family and community involvement in education. Visit this site for resources -- such as tips for parents and teachers -- and a newsletter and calendar of upcoming events.

Foundation for Excellent Schools
http://www.fesnet.org/
Read the FES newsletter and find out about upcoming events.

Education Commission of the States
http://www.ecs.org/
To gather more information on education policy, access ECS, Information Clearinghouse, join an on-line discussion, or review ECS publications.

Benton Foundation
http://www.benton.org/
Visitors to this site can learn more about two of the Foundation's projects, "Communications Policy and Practice" and "Kids Campaign," that provide citizens with information, research, and tools to understand the effective use of new communications and how to act on behalf of children in their neighborhoods.

Alliance for Parental Involvement in Education
http://www.croton.com/allpie/
This New York-based nonprofit organization promotes parental involvement in education at all levels. AllPIE's site contains membership information, a newsletter, a resource catalog of books and materials, and information on upcoming conferences and workshops.

WestEd
730 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: 415-565-3000 Fax: 415-565-3012
E-mail: tross@wested.org
Internet: http://www.wested.org/
States Served: Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah
Mission: To challenge and enable educators to provide quality learning for all students by applying the best available knowledge from research, development, and experience. In carrying out its mission, WestEd works with clients to develop the tools, processes, and materials that policymakers and practitioners need to put the components of reform together and to scale up successful practice in ways that will improve teaching and learning for a broader range of students.

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL)
211 East Seventh Street
Austin, TX 78701-3281
Phone: 512-476-6861 Fax: 512-476-2286
800-476-6861
E-mail: whoover@aedl.org
Internet: http://www.sedl.org/
States Served: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
Mission: To find, share, and sustain effective solutions for the most urgent problems facing educational systems, practitioners, and decision makers in the southwestern United States. SEDL’s particular emphasis is on ensuring educational quality for children and youth who live in poverty; who are Hispanic, African American, or other minorities; or who have mental or physical exceptionalities.

SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE)
Post Office Box 5367
Greensboro, NC 27435
Phone: 910-334-3211 Fax: 910-334-3268
800-755-3277
E-mail: info@serve.org
Internet: http://www.serve.org/
States Served: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina
Mission: To promote and support the continuous improvement of educational opportunities for all learners in the Southeast.

Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL)
828 Fort Street Mall, Suite 500
Honolulu, HI 96813-4321
Phone: 808-533-6000 Fax: 808-533-7599
E-mail: askprel@prel.hawaii.edu
Internet: http://www.prel.org/
Mission: To assist education, government, and labor groups as well as community agencies and businesses in maintaining cultural literacy and improving the quality of life by helping to strengthen educational programs and processes for children, youth, and adults.

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL)
101 SW Main Street, Suite 500
Portland, OR 97204-3297
Phone: 503-275-9500 Fax: 503-275-9489
E-mail: info@nwrel.org
Internet: http://www.nwrel.org/
States Served: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington
Mission: To improve educational results for children, youth, and adults by providing research and development assistance in delivering equitable, high-quality educational programs. NWREL provides research and development assistance to education, government, community agencies, business and labor.

Northeast and Islands Lab at Brown University (LAB)
222 Richmond Street, Suite 300
Providence, RI 02903-4226
Phone: 401-274-9548 Fax: 401-421-7650
800-521-9550
E-mail: LAB@brown.edu
Internet: http://www.lab.brown.edu/
States Served: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands
Mission: To promote systemic school improvement in the Northeast and Islands region by supporting researchers who conduct collaborative inquiry alongside educational practitioners and community members. The LAB places special emphasis on developing effective approaches to meeting the educational needs of linguistically and culturally diverse students. Knowledge gained through inquiries into standards and assessment, school services, professional development, and community involvement is exchanged with policymakers and schools through publications, computer media, and LAB-facilitated workshops. In all of the LAB’s work, equity is the highest priority, reflecting a commitment to helping all learners achieve excellence.

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL)
1900 Spring Road, Suite 300
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523-1480
Phone: 630-571-4700 Fax: 630-571-4716
800-356-2735
E-mail: info@ncrel.org
Internet: http://www.ncrel.org/
States Served: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
Mission: To strengthen and support schools and communities so that all students achieve standards of educational excellence. NCREL accomplishes its mission through policy analysis, professional development, and technical assistance, and by leveraging the power of partnerships and networks.

Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory (McREL)
2550 South Parker Road, Suite 500
Aurora, Colorado 80014-1678
Phone: 303-337-0990 Fax: 303-337-3005
E-mail: info@mcrel.org
Internet: http://www.mcrel.org/
States Served: Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
Mission: McREL is dedicated to making a difference in the quality of education and learning for all through excellence in applied research, product development, and service. In carrying out its mission, McREL works collaboratively with its clients to improve educational policy and practice through the application of knowledge from research, development, and experience.

Mid-Atlantic Laboratory for Student Success (LSS)
Temple University/Center for Research in Human Development and Education
933 Ritter Annex, 13^th St. and Cecil B. Moore Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6091
Phone: 215-204-3030 Fax: 215-204-5130
800-892-5550
E-Mail: lss@vm.temple.edu
Internet: http://www.temple.edu/LSS/
States Served: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.
Mission: To build capacity to bring about lasting improvements in the learning of the mid-Atlantic region’s increasingly diverse student population. The ultimate goal of the LSS is to establish a system of research, development, and dissemination that connects schools, parents, community agencies, professional groups, and higher education institutions and that gradually expands reform efforts in the region and is part of a high-tech national system for exchanging information.

Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL)
Post Office Box 1348
Charleston, WV 25325-1348
Phone: 304-347-0400
Fax: 304-347-0487
800-624-9120
E-mail: aelinfo@ael.org
Internet: http://www.ael.org/
States Served: Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia
Mission: To link the knowledge from research with the wisdom from practice to improve teaching and learning. This is accomplished by working with educators,
researchers, policymakers, business leaders, families, students, and others to discover, develop, evaluate, and disseminate innovative services, products, and practices.

The Betty Phillips Center for Parenthood Education
Dr. Jerold P. Bauch, Director
Box 81, Peabody College
Nashville, TN 37203
Telephone: 615-322-8100
Fax: 615-343-5670
The Betty Phillips Center for Parenthood Education is a research and development unit of
Peabody College at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. The central mission of the Center is the improvement and expansion of parent involvement in the schools. We carry out this mission by developing innovative plans and models that can be adopted by schools, and by providing technical assistance to schools in the areas of planning, implementation, staff development, parent orientation, and evaluation.

Parents for Public Schools
P.O. Box 12807
Jackson, MS 39236-2807
Telephone: 800-222-1222 or 601-982-1222
Fax: 601-982-0002
E-Mail: PPSChapter@aol.com
Parents for Public Schools (PPS) is a national organization of grassroots chapters dedicated to recruiting students, involving parents, and improving public schools. PPS mobilizes parents to build better public schools and communities. Founded in 1991 in Jackson, MS, the organization has 53 chapters across 20 states.

The Parent Leadership Project
The City University of New York
899 Tenth Ave., Room 410
New York, NY 10019
Telephone: 212-237-8425
Created in 1988, the Parent Leadership Project is designed to provide support for parents interested in improving New York City schools and for those interested in fighting the drug problems in society. The project provides training and assistance to parents who want to become involved leaders in the school and to parents who want to work cooperatively with teachers, administrators, and other parents.

Parent Information Center
Central Office
P.O. Box 2405
Concord, NH 03302-2405
V/TDD: 603-224-7005
Fax: 603-224-4365
Email: picnh@aol.com
The Parent Information Center (PIC) was funded in 1976 by the U.S. Department of Education to provide information, referral, training, and support to parents of children with disabilities. PIC services are available to all parents and family members, whether or not they have a child with a disability.

Parent Action
Rosalie Streett
Parent Action
#2 North Charles St., Suite 960
Baltimore, MD 21201
Telephone: 410-727-3687
Fax: 410-752-1793
Parent Action is a national grassroots membership organization for parents, grandparents, and others who have joined together to form a national voice through which parents can address their unique interests. The organization, which believes that parents need more time, money, services and social respect, works to improve the quality of life for families by ensuring that government, communities, and workplaces have policies and services that support the role of parents. Parent Action advocates on behalf of parents, provides programs and materials that teach self-advocacy, and encourages the formation of local networks for mutual support.

New Parents Network
P.O. Box 436
Agoura Hills, CA 91376-0436
Telephone: 818-889-4604v
Fax: 818-889-9327
E-Mail: moreinfo@npn.org
The New Parents Network (NPN) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1988. The NPN provides information through kiosks located in public places to reach individuals who do not have computers with modems in their homes.
The NPN is designed to provide information to new parents and professionals who work with parents through kiosks in maternity wards, county health departments, universities, public schools, libraries, and government agencies. Information available at the kiosks is organized into the following categories: Child Care & Education, Diseases & Disabilities, General Parenting Information, Health & Nutrition, Media & Publications, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Product Recall Information, Safety & Poison Control, and Support Information.

National Senior Service Corps
Helen Alston
National Senior Service Corps
Corporation for National and Community Service
1201 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20525
Phone: 202-606-5000, Ext.189
Toll Free: 800-424-8867
The National Senior Service Corps is a federally supported program that helps seniors (men and women 55 years of age and older) find opportunities for service in their home communities. Of particular interest to parents is the Foster Grandparent Program, in which seniors provide emotional support to children who have been abused and neglected; care for infants born prematurely; care for children with physical disabilities; and mentoring for troubled teens and young mothers.

National Network of Partnership Schools
Joyce Epstein Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships
3003 North Charles St., Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21218
Internet: http://scov.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/
The National Network of Partnership Schools was established in 1996 at Johns Hopkins University by the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships. The goal is to bring together schools, districts, and states that are committed to developing and maintaining strong school-family-community partnerships. There is no fee to join the Network, but schools, districts, and states must meet a few requirements.

National Community Education Association
National Community Education Association
3929 Old Lee Highway, Suite 91
Fairfax, VA 22030
Telephone: 703-359-8973
Fax: 703-359-0972
E-Mail: ncea@ncea.com
Internet: http://www.ncea.com/
TheNCEA’s purpose is to promote parent and community involvement in public education; form community partnerships to address community needs; and expand lifelong learning opportunities for community residents of all ages and educational backgrounds. The association provides membership services including training through workshops and conferences, technical assistance to state associations and local school districts; a monthly newsletter and a quarterly journal, and governmental and public relations services.

Families and Work Institute
Families and Work Institute
330 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10001
Telephone: 212-465-2044
Fax: 212-465-8637
Internet: http://www.familiesandworkinst.org/
This national nonprofit research, strategic planning, and consulting organization conducts policy and worksite research on the changing workforce and changing family/personal lives.
The Web site includes announcements from the Families and Work Institute; a description of current research projects, including the Fatherhood Project; a publications list with detailed summaries; and links to other work and family sites.

Center for a New American Dream
Center for a New American Dream
6930 Carroll Ave., Suite 900
Takoma Park, MD 20912
Telephone: 301-891-ENUF (3683)
Fax: 301-891-3684
Internet: http://www.newdream.org/
The Center for a New American Dream is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to reducing and shifting North American consumption while fostering opportunities for people to lead more secure and fulfilling lives. The organization helps individuals, communities, and businesses establish sustainable practices that will ensure a healthy planet for future generations. The Center was founded in 1997 on the principle that a highly materialistic definition of the American dream is undermining our families, communities, and the natural world. The Center serves as a hub for numerous local and national organizations promoting cultural, behavioral, industrial, and spiritual changes. It distributes educational materials and conducts campaigns to help individuals make constructive changes within their homes, schools, workplaces, and communities.

Alliance for Parental Involvement in Education, Inc.
Seth Rockmuller
Alliance for Parental Involvement in Education, Inc.
P.O. Box 59
East Chatham, NY 12060-0059
Telephone: 518-392-6900
E-mail: allpiesr@aol.com
The Alliance for Parental Involvement in Education (ALLPIE) is a parent network helping parents explore educational options, including public, private, and home schooling. In addition to a newsletter, ALLPIE publishes pamphlets on educational options and parents rights. The organization sponsors workshops, retreats, and an annual family conference. Educational books and additional materials are available through ALLPIE’s mail order lending library and through its catalog.