City of Redwood City Community Partnerships Series: Redwood City 2020
The City of Redwood City and Redwood City 2020 have a unique partnership, designed to support the success of all youth and families and to engage and strengthen the community. Redwood City 2020 develops and implements a wide range of programs that are focused on addressing community needs and building on our community’s strengths. The City of Redwood City partners with Redwood City 2020 to bring these programs to our community members.
Redwood City 2020’s goals are to reduce the impact of poverty, improve the academic success of students, promote community health and wellness, increase community engagement, and enhance safety. By partnering with Redwood City 2020, the City of Redwood City is able to help accomplish these goals for our community.
Ways we partner together
Members of City staff serve on Redwood City 2020’s Coordinating Committee where they share data, priorities, and resource information. The committee works with local partners, including the Redwood City School District and the County of San Mateo, on ways we can collectively and collaboratively ensure that children in Redwood City are healthy, safe and successful.
In Schools
The City is a key partner in Redwood City 2020’s Community School initiative. Community schools are “full-service” schools that offer wrap-around services and opportunities beyond academic instruction. These wrap-around services include physical and mental healthcare, parenting education, legal support, after-school programming, emergency food and other safety nets. The City is also an after school partner with the Redwood City School District where Redwood City 2020 is involved in priority setting, support and data sharing. To learn more about community schools go here.
Family engagement is a cornerstone to addressing pressing equity issues, such as student success both inside and outside the classroom. In partnership, the City of Redwood City and Redwood City 2020 lead community engagement on school campuses and the City’s After School Program Coordinators are on the front lines coordinating parent engagement opportunities and events. To learn more about after school programs offered by the City of Redwood City go here.
In Our Community
The Welcoming Stars initiative recognizes programs in Redwood City with a commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all who live, work, study, and visit in our community and aims to create a welcoming network of cross-sector organizations and resources for the community. By celebrating and sharing the best and most effective programs in our community that are actively welcoming immigrants and newcomers in innovative and inspiring ways, Redwood City Together aims to amplify their impact and highlight best practices for others. Past awardees include the City of Redwood City Police Department, City of Redwood City Public Library and Fair Oaks Community Center. To learn more about Welcoming Stars, and see past recipients, go here.
Earlier this year the City of Redwood City became a “Welcoming City,” a national designation by Welcoming America, with help from Redwood City 2020. This officially joins us with the Welcoming Cities and Counties Initiative, which honors communities promoting inclusiveness, mutual respect and cooperation. This designation reflects the City’s commitment to its motto “Building a Great Community Together” and its long-standing goal to build a community that is welcoming, vibrant and actively engaged.
The City of Redwood City recently created an online list of resources available to our immigrant community. Go here for more details.
Redwood City 2020 has also developed and implemented the Socios for Success program. This is a year-long professional development series to build capacity for family members, educators, and other community members to create community mobilization teams. These teams enhance family-to-family education and outreach and build peer-to-peer community empowerment. To learn about more family engagement programs go here.
For Safety
The City is a major partner involved with the Safe Routes to School program. This program helps families and educators get kids moving by making it safer and easier for them to walk or bike to school. Implementing the program includes the following strategies:
· Increase students’ and families’ knowledge about pedestrian and bicycle safety.
· Increase volunteer capacity and the number of volunteers supporting Safe Routes to School.
· Increase options and student/family knowledge about physical activity.
· Collaborate with professional partners to further identify and address physical barriers to safety.
· Evaluate and improve Safe Routes to School programs in Redwood City.
To learn more about the Safe Routes to School program go here.
The City’s partnership with Redwood City 2020 is an important community resource and we are glad to partner in these ways, and more, to “Build a Great Community Together.”
To learn more about Redwood City 2020 and the work they do, go here. There are even ways you can get involved! To learn more about getting involved with Redwood City 2020 go here.
