SUPPORT

CENTER

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MENU

The Campaign for GRADE-LEVELREADING

NETWORK COMMUNITIES

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The Network Communities Support Center (NCSC) is the arm of the Campaign for

Grade-Level Reading established to help communities identify, implement, share

and sustain solutions to the challenges and barriers to grade-level reading by the

end of third grade. The NCSC functions as a hub for peer learning, a broker for

technical assistance and consulting support, and an accelerator of local change

initiatives. The NCSC exists to ensure that communities have the resources and

build the capacities they need in order to make progress on school readiness,

school attendance, summer learning and grade-level reading by the close of 2016.

As a hub, the NCSC unleashes the power and potential of a growing Network of more than 200 communities in 42 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands through peer exchanges, peer learning and peer coaching. The NCSC offers communities the opportunity to:

• Join the Campaign’s invitation-only, online platform with more than 1,400 individuals who are engaged in local campaigns across the country and gain access to a set of carefully curated tools and resources.• Participate in state clusters and affinity groups comprised of communities with similar demo- graphics, interests and challenges.• Interact with peers through regional gatherings, national conferences, webinars and confer- ence calls.• Learn about what’s happening in the Network from a weekly email bulletin that features “Bright Spots,” a weekly article about innovative and promising ideas coming directly from communities.• Nominate your community to be featured in Campaign publications, social media and other materials.

BROKER

HUB

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NCSC “brokers” technical assistance and consulting services from a broad array of public, private and social sector providers. The growing menu of technical assistance providers, tools and programs are intentionally aligned with the capacities and strategies necessary for communities to make progress by the close of 2016. The NCSC helps communities:

ESTABLISH BASELINES, SET TARGETS AND DRIVE WITH DATA

• Join more than 70 communities in the Network that are using the Results Scorecard.• Disaggregate your data and identify priority populations using resources and tools provided by the Campaign and Metis, Inc. • Obtain sample MOUs and data-sharing agreements from other communities in the Network.

LEAD AND MANAGE “BIG TENT” COALITIONS

• Participate in “Making Collaboration Work,” a customized implementation support initiative launched in partnership with Community Wealth Partners.• Build stronger relationships with the local affiliates of the more than 60 national partners currently involved in the Campaign.• Make connections with other local change initiatives such as STRIVE, Ready by 21,

Community Schools and Promise Neighborhoods.• Learn from key Campaign Partners, National League of Cities and United Way Worldwide, how to engage mayors, other city officials and United Ways in providing critical leadership, public awareness and support for local campaigns.

ASSEMBLE, REPURPOSE AND AGGREGATE RESOURCES

• Build stronger relationships with local- and state-level philanthropy.• Receive customized letters of support for grant proposals.• Utilize monthly funding bulletins provided in partnership with Literacy Powerline.• Submit initiatives for scale-up or replication through the Social Impact Exchange.

IMPLEMENT THE MOST PROMISING INTERVENTIONS, PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES

• Utilize a full range of tools and services offered by the Campaign’s three national implementa-tion partners: Attendance Works, National Summer Learning Association and School Readi- ness Consultants.

• Access resources and expertise on how to address the cross-cutting issues of health, successful parenting and volunteers/citizen service.

BROKER

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NCSC functions as an accelerator by using events, awards and communications tools to mobilize and energize stakeholders to take bold and sustained steps to address the barriers to grade-level reading.

• Compete for the 2017 All-America City Awards for progress on school readiness, school attendance, summer learning and grade-level reading.• Participate in an annual calendar of Opportunities for Messaging and Mobilization that includes: > (March) Read Across America Day — GLR-focused messaging around Parents

and Literacy > (April) National Volunteer Week — GLR-focused messaging around Volunteer Reading Tutors > (June) Summer Learning Day — GLR-focused messaging on Learning, Literacy

and Nutrition > (September) Attendance Awareness Month — GLR-focused messaging on Health

Determinants of Early School Success

• Utilize communications tools and templates, videos and press or promotional materials that are ready for use by GLR Network communities.

FOR ASSISTANCE

The NCSC provides a single point of contact for every member of the GLR Network. Your contact can provide ongoing help navigating the range of offers and opportunities that will come your way to help you determine which fit your most pressing needs.

ACCELERATOR

Photos: © Susie Fitzhugh, Jason Miczek

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September 2015