During a Community Schools Conference held at Towson University, in March, Allegany County Public Schools Community Schools Coordinator Autumn Symons was honored as the Western Maryland Champion of Community Schools. There were 25 total nominees from across the state. Ms. Symons stood out for her abundance of nominations from school staff, parents, students, and community partners. She was also noted for her work with attendance field trips, establishing Wednesday Night clubs for Legos, literacy, robotics, cooking, fitness, and art, and working with the Maryland Extension Office to create a gardening program that helps education and address food insecurity as well as growing fresh foods.

“As a lifelong resident of the George’s Creek area, having the opportunity to be the Community School Coordinator at George’s Creek Elementary, the school I attended as a child, the school my children attend now, has been a great honor,” says Ms. Symons. “Being able to contribute to growing the success and happiness of the students, their families and the communities they live in is a profound privilege. While I am beyond grateful for this honor, the successes achieved at George’s Creek are not a reflection of me alone and would not be possible without the amazing group of committed staff, administration, community partners, students and family members that I get to work with daily.”

Community Schools help provide students and families with the physical health, mental health, academic, and extracurricular sports needed to thrive. These schools serve as a hub that brings families, communities, and partners together to remove barriers of learning, striving to strengthen connections to generate improved student outcomes. Maryland aims to prioritize Community Schools through the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, concentrating on poverty grants for schools that serve large populations of students experiencing poverty. These grants aim to serve students, families, and the community by establishing community schools. While all Allegany County Public Schools provide support to students, Community Schools work in collaboration with community partners, local governments, and other stakeholders to provide wraparound services that address barriers to learning and success.

“Autumn is a passionate advocate for the students at George's Creek as well as the community. Her work as the community school coordinator has elevated family and students events, enhanced academics and provided supports to eliminate barriers,” says Mrs. Jenny Ramsey, Administrative Coordinator of Community Schools. “She uses collaborative efforts with staff and community partnerships to bring supports and hands on experiences to the George's Creek community. The food gardening program with support of the Maryland Extension Office staff has given students opportunities to learn, grow, enjoy and help donate back to the community. Mrs. Symons is one of our fourteen ACPS community school coordinators who work to build these experiences to address data based school and community needs!”