Gurdon S. Hubbard
High School
Sustainable Community Schools
"The Sustainable Community Schools (SCS) movement was born out of Black and Brown community struggle. In 2001, parents, grandparents, and community activists in Chicago’s Little Village engaged in a 19-day hunger strike to protest the denial of a new high school for the children of their working class, Latinx community. They organized and worked with a community group to demand that the Chicago Board of Education fulfill its promise. Their persistence led to the building of Little Village Social Justice High School.
Fourteen years later and less than 10 miles away, dedicated parents, grandparents, and organizers staged a 34-day hunger strike to stop the closure and privatization of Walter H. Dyett High School in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. Led by their community organization and with help from Little Village allies, the organizers developed a plan to save Dyett and other schools in their community. Their fight led to the reopening of the school. The next year, Dyett became one of the 20 SCS secured by the Chicago Teachers Union in our collective bargaining agreement with Chicago Public Schools." Chicago Teachers Union
Hubbard High School along with their Lead Partner Agency, Gads Hill Center, have joined the second cohort of schools selected for participation in the Sustainable Community Schools Initiative.
Gads Hill Center, a social service organization established in 1898, creates opportunities for children and their families to build a better life through education, access to resources, and community engagement. Over the following years, Gads Hill Center grew from one site in Pilsen to four more locations on Chicago's underserved west and southwest sides. As part of the SCS Initiative, Gads Hill Center and Hubbard have partnered together to provide the utmost quality of education, support, and resources to Hubbard students
What is a Sustainable Community School?
Sustainable Community Schools are designed to provide wraparound academic, health, and social support for the entire community beyond the traditional 9 am – 3 pm school day. Using community assets, resources, and external partnerships to provide comprehensive community care, SCS brings students, parents, educators, school staff, and community members together in an effort to promote neighborhood health and well-being.
What does this mean for Hubbard?
Hubbard High School, in partnership with Gads Hill and SCS, is determined and committed to connecting students, families and community members with wraparound support in the West Lawn area. What this will look like include the following:
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Licensed Clinician for students and families- available every school day for one-on-one, group, and workshop sessions
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Restorative Justice Coordinator- facilitates restorative practices and healthy mindsets/conflict resolution for staff, students, and families.
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Resource Coordinator- full time school-level support in bringing events, field trips, and exciting opportunities to Hubbard
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Parent Coordinator- full time school-level support in engaging families and community members as active participants in events/workshops
AND MORE!
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Curricula that are engaging, culturally relevant, and challening
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Positive discipline
practices
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Emphasis on high-quality teaching, not on high-stakes testing
5
Authentic parent and
community engagement
3
Wrap around supports that support academics
6
Inclusive school
leadership
SCS Pillars
Sustainable Community Schools Guiding Principles/Values
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Racial justice and equity;
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Transparency and trusting relationships;
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Community Self-determination and governance;
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Building from community strengths, community wisdom, and data/best practice/evidence;
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Shared leadership and collaboration;
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Reflective learning culture; and
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Whole-child approach to education.