Sienna’s outbursts began in first grade, as she struggled to cope with family turmoil. Her trauma manifested quickly into behavior issues: she refused to work in class, was defiant, and had bursts of crying, sometimes refusing to enter the classroom in the morning. Her education quickly took a backseat. But, fortunately, Sienna was at a Community Partnership School.

Her teacher reached out to the Community Partnership School team at Endeavour Elementary, and Sienna was quickly paired with a caring adult mentor, she received mental health services, joined a social-emotional lunch bunch and began making significant strides.

With the support of her mentor and the consistency of the Community Partnership School team, Sienna’s attitude and academic performance rapidly changed. On track educationally, she’s also a role model for her peers, providing a positive influence to other students who may be struggling.

By addressing barriers to learning—poverty, food insecurity, homelessness and others – Community Partnership Schools bring together high-quality academic supports, health care, counseling, mentoring and more – right at the school. The model helps to provide the learning environments that offer equitable opportunities and success for all students. To learn more about our Community Partnership Schools, visit chsfl.org/communitypartnershipschools.