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MEDIA RELEASE: WORKING TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN: SCHOOL BOARDS AND COMMUNITIES 

July 20, 2001
For Immediate Release

(OTTAWA) - It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. Making that a reality requires partnerships between school districts, parents and other community groups and agencies. When these groups work together, communities can maximize the chances that they will meet the multiple needs of children and families.

The Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA) announces today that, with funding from the federal Department of Justice, it has developed Together Works Better, a resource to help school boards better meet the needs of their students through partnerships. 

"Schools and school districts are the cornerstone of communities," said Kathy LeGrow, CSBA President. "We want to work together to create supportive and caring environments for our children and youth."

The need for a guide to support partnerships became evident to CSBA last year as it carried out work on information sharing between school boards and youth justice officials. It became apparent that while school districts need policies for sharing information with other agencies, they also need formal and informal relationships with these agencies to work together effectively.

Together Works Better is based on the experiences of school districts across Canada and on existing national and international research. While the examples are based on youth justice issues, the benefits of partnerships extend to all aspects of well-being for children and youth.

The Canadian School Boards Association is the national voice of school boards. It is comprised of nine provincial school board associations representing over 400 school boards and serving more than four million elementary and secondary school students. 

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For information:
Elizabeth Hodges, CSBA's Communications & Government Relations Coordinator
(613) 235-3724 ext. 23