Leading and Strengthening the Alternative Schools Movement: AHSI Place-Based Initiatives

As co-convener of the Alternative High School Initiative (AHSI) with the National League of Cities (NLC), Big Picture Learning is deeply committed to aggressively marketing the network of AHSI schools as a premier national resource to help communities and school districts in serving the needs of disconnected and out-of-school youth.

 

 

 

In the spring of 2008, AHSI announced a national grant opportunity. This place-based partnership opportunity was created in an effort to get cities to work together in partnership with school districts and youth organizations to create a comprehensive alternative education solution for students. Many cities around the country took advantage of the opportunity to submit grant applications, and three cities were chosen based on their business plan and site-visits conducted by AHSI intermediary members. The National League of Cities and Big Picture Learning are thrilled to announce the following three cities as the first place-based partnership locations: Indianapolis, IN; Newark, NJ; and Nashville, TN.

The place-based partnership provides the following programming for each of the partner locations:

• 18 months of facilitation support in order to open and establish a network of alternative education options within the city.
• Technical assistance, tools, and peer learning opportunities from all AHSI-affiliated intermediaries as well as focused support from Big Picture Learning and NLC.
• The opportunity to leverage funding from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Access to school reform and start-up expertise and guidance from around the AHSI network.

It is our hope that the partnerships with Indianapolis, Newark, and Nashville will serve as models for other cities around the country and will demonstrate the value of an alternative education portfolio. Big Picture Learning believes that these three partnerships will inspire cities to more adequately and thoroughly address the educational crisis that exists in cities across the United States.

For more information about AHSI’s Place-Based Initiatives, visit www.ahsi.org.