Community educators
Explore opportunities for community educators to support learners and complement professional educators.
Why is this important
Community educators are youth-serving professionals and volunteers who provide capacity and insight in service of deepening and personalizing student learning. They enrich learning environments by forging authentic relationships, sharing expertise and expanding networks. In Next Education Workforce models, community educators work as part of educator teams, where they leverage their knowledge and skills to complement the work of professional educators.
We are working with schools and community organizations in a dual-capacity building approach to increasing the number and impact that community educators have in learning environments so that ….
Schools
Engaging with school systems, leaders, and educators to build the skills and the mindset to sustainably engage with community educators
Community Educators
Supporting the field of community educators including: volunteers, organizations, and industry to be ready to take on meaningful roles within schools and to answer the call for people powered support for students
Ways to get involved
Community Educator Learning Hub
Our award-winning catalog of nanocourses boosts the skills that community educators bring into a learning space. Take the first step by exploring a course today!
Communities of Practice
On-going virtual opportunities to learn together about practices, challenges, and opportunities in leveraging new roles to support students.
Community-to-School Directory
Explore our directory of community based organizations in Arizona that leverage community educators for deeper learning. Built to help teachers, educators and schools find Arizona organizations that work with students and are ready to support classrooms.
Resources
Access the collection of resources for community educators, professional educators and school leaders to sustainably and meaningfully incorporate community educator roles into a learning environment.
Frequently asked questions
Who are community educators?
Community educators are youth-serving professionals and volunteers who provide capacity and insight in service of deepening and personalizing student learning. They enrich learning environments by forging authentic relationships, sharing expertise and expanding networks.
In Next Education Workforce models, community educators work as part of educator teams, where they leverage their knowledge and skills to complement the work of professional educators.
How do community educators complement professional educators?
There are endless ways that professional educators and community educators can partner to support deeper and more personalized learning for young people. Examples of innovative ways that schools are leveraging community educators can be found in our resource collection, some of which include community educators in roles such as:
- project-based mentors: supporting units through connecting content to varied applications
- reading accelerators: small group reading tutors trained to support literacy practices in the classroom alongside professional educators (these community educators could be specially trained volunteers, ed professions students, or youth-serving professionals from community-based organizations.)
- And many more roles!
I work in a school. Where do I find community educators?
Within your school district there may also be a community partnerships or volunteer management team that can introduce you to community partners your district already has relationships with that match your need.
Community educators that are youth-work professionals can also be found through local community based organizations. Next Education Workforce is creating a searchable directory of Arizona organizations that have school focused programming. Find and connect with a new organization today.
I’m interested in working as a community educator. Where can I find training?
Enroll in the Community Educator Learning Hub today!
Upcoming events
We host a variety of ways to engage collectively, from professional learning opportunities and communities of practice for schools and organizations to deepen their practice with community partnerships, to convening events that bring our field together.
How do I learn more?
For more information or opportunities, please contact Korbi Adams, senior program manager of Community Educator Initiatives.