Every school needs a village. In February, over 200 people gathered to start the building process.
Just a few weeks ago our team sat with a local principal and asked a simple question: “What is a big goal you are aiming at?” The principal thought for a minute and said, “Our food pantry needs to be restocked and some better organization”
That is a real need an it deserves to be seen and met.
But we sensed there was more beyond that answer, so we asked the principal to back up and dream for a moment. “When you zoom out from the urgency, what do you hope for your students? What do you want for them?”
The answer surprised us.
“I want my students to go snow skiing.”
The principal went on to explain what he meant. Many students at the school will never experience something like skiing because of barriers that stack up fast: money, transportation, equipment, support at home, etc…
The principal’s hope was not really just about skiing. It was about what happens in a young person when they are invited into a new world. It was about life-giving experiences that reshape how students see where they live, the future they could have, and the capabilities inside them. It was about students feeling seen and worth investing in.
Together we worked to make the dream reachable for this semester and clear for the partners who would join the CAFE roundtable – Increase the number of students who participate in outside-of-school experiences from 0 to 5 by the end of the school year.
That may sound small but it is not. It is a starting line for community partnerships to grow. It is a small opening in the wall that lets light in and says, “This is possible.” And it is the kind of goal that can grow over time into bigger dreams: ski trips, college visits, internships, new relationships, new confidence.
In February, we hosted four CAFE roundtable dates across District 11. Twenty schools participated. Over 200 people attended. A CAFE roundtable is a process of working alongside schools and partners that leads to a roundtable discussion. At this roundtable, the principal shares big dreams and small steps that community members can contribute their unique skills, resources and time toward.
Partners came from every corner of our city: faith, government, nonprofits, business, education, parents, and students. No single sector can carry a school. But together, we can build a “village” around each one.
CAFEs create space for people slow down long enough to listen, learn, and take a first step. When we show up with humility and commit to long-term relationships, connection, compassion, and capacity can take root.
If you were at one of these CAFEs, you need to know this:
You were not attending an event. You were practicing a different way of seeing, caring and investing in our students, families and educators.
You were saying yes to the idea that schools are a portal to every need, and that it takes all of us to respond.
This is only the beginning. Villages are building.
