An unprecedented partnership of public and alternative schools, public library and social service organizations came together in an impoverished neighborhood to create a campus of shared learning and services supporting student success. An alternative high school serving students seeking an enhanced high school experience, a middle school seeking to better support at risk students and families, and the nearby public library joined as partners for change to benefit students, their families, and the community.

Through design team-led engagement sessions, consolidating resources on a shared campus emerged as a goal to provide wrap-around learning and support. Sharing spaces limited the duplication of services and maximized diverse learning opportunities. This included relocating and connecting the library to the middle school providing access to students and the public at different times of the day. The middle school and high school environments are welcoming and inclusive, locating students near others for a supportive, shared learning approach.

Locating education and community resources on the same site leveraged public funding in an innovative way, resulting in a vibrant design that builds school and community pride, belonging, and inclusion for better education experiences and potentially a better way of life for students and their families.