Winburn community academy: A university-assisted community school and professional development school

Winburn Community Academy is a school–university–community partnership that uses win–win collaboration to remove barriers to learning. The primary partners include Winburn Middle School, the Lexington Parks and Recreation Department, and the University of Kentucky. Working together through the Academy, these agencies link with others in the community (nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individuals) to sponsor a school-based recreation and homework center, community learning opportunities both in and out of school, service learning, and a professional development school for the University of Kentucky’s middle-level teacher education program. A common thread across all facets of the project is the building of networks—among students, teachers, and parents—to strengthen the community and improve student learning. Our 6-year history shows that developing successful partnerships is a messy but rewarding process. We hope our experiences will be helpful to others.