
The Good Neighbor Partnerships (GNP), a resource of the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD), was created to address our mission to positively engage local school districts in the state of Texas. In short, the GNP is both a program and a framework that utilizes the fundamental characteristics of successful school-university partnerships to engage K-12 stakeholders, energize evidence-based research and best practices, and employ structured and strategic mechanisms to enhance a shared vision: Good neighbors, great schools. School-university partners of the GNP, which includes local Big 13 schools and districts in the Brazos Valley and other major state-wide partners, join forces alongside SEHD to address P-12 teaching and learning opportunities.
The Four initiatives
Aims
Engage
P-12 students, families and teachers from various backgrounds and abilities in formal and informal learning contexts.
Energize
Recruitment, evidence-based research and best practices, as well as professional development opportunities to promote capacity building that enhances the curriculum for learners and educators.
Employ
Structured, strategic, equitable, mutually beneficial and sustainable mechanisms for effective school-university engagement through the Good Neighbor Partnerships Working Group – an advisory arm for the Council for Educator Preparation Programs.
Fundamental Characteristics of Successful School-University Partnerships
- Well-defined administrative structure
- Mutual self-interest and common goals
- Participant commitment and time commitment
- Mutual trust and respect
- External support
- Shared decision-making
- Clear focus
- Information sharing
- Manageable agenda
- Dynamic nature
- Ongoing process of evaluation
(Thorkildsen & Scott Stein, 1996, pp. 83-89)
Communication
Educators have a great deal going on in the school-university community — no worries, we’ve got your back. As part of the mission of the School of Education and Human Development, the newsletter of the Good Neighbor Partnerships (GNP) makes it easier for you to keep tabs on educational events and outreach activities that affect your lives; especially when you don’t have the time to follow every event. Printed four times during the academic school year, the Good Neighbors Newsletter is just one small way for us to communicate and celebrate our school-university activities.
Capacity Building
The staff and faculty in SEHD are engaged in a wide variety of recruiting, coursework, research, and professional development (PD) opportunities designed to support the professional growth of P-12 teachers / coaches, administrators, and support staff. They look forward to working alongside school district partners across the state of Texas, especially our local school district partners, to advance mutual interests.
Registry
The GNP serves as a repository for all of the school-university engagement activities carried out by SEHD faculty at the local, state, national, and international levels. The GNP will share access to the registry in October 2022.
Celebrations
Educators across the state, and in SEHD, are invited to nominate outstanding colleagues to receive one of the Good Neighbors (GN) Awards. As part of the Good Neighbor Partnerships initiative, SEHD leadership seeks to recognize educators in the Brazos Valley and across the state for their superlative work as P-12 classroom teachers, mentors, coaches, and educational leaders.
- The timeline to submit a nomination for the GN Awards April-June.
- Winners will be announced by August 1.
- Please contact us if you have any questions.