C) Partnering Groups

List any partners such as community groups or management entities. Nature and purpose of partnership. Why is this a good fit? HALF PAGE 

Partnering Groups

Our main partner is Columbia University, specifically the Science, Math and Engineering Departments, and Teachers College.  The partnership provides us with membership into the university's academic community including use of educational and recreational facilities, enrollment in courses (by both students and faculty), participation in the university's academic, recreational and cultural events. The University provides in-kind support, technical resources, and will help facilitate specific projects and activities.  CSCS seeks to provide a world-class science, math, and engineering education, making a partnership with Columbia ideal for achieving the goal of academic rigor and exposure to advanced study of these topics.  In addition we will be seeking specific programmatic support from The Beacon Program, an after school program that trains older students to work with younger students on skill building, character development, positive social norms, and tutoring. involvement are hallmarks of the Beacon program model.  This partnership is particularly important during our first several years of operation, when we will be incubating in shared space with a PK-2nd grade elementary school.  We will utilize Beacon’s resources to help our older students become leaders in this shared space, to the benefit of both our students and the younger students in the building.  There has been resistance by the current parents at PS36 to sharing their building with older students.  Accordingly, we will put forth this structured after-school partnership as a way to ameliorate some of these tensions, and build a sense of shared community.