CPNN Communities of Practice
Learn how CPNN partners put the Communities of Practice model into action, and why it's helping ensure better data, stronger programs, and brighter futures for California children and families.
Corning Promise: Storytelling
Corning Promise (Everette Freeman Promise Neighborhood) released three new articles to their Storytelling Series. Check out how the Junior Cardettes are making a difference in their community; ways the Corning Union High School district is making careers more accessible for students; and why mental health is top of mind in the Corning Promise community.
Mission Promise Neighborhood Partner Interview Series (Part 1): Tandem Partners In Early Learning
CPNN, in partnership with Mission Promise Neighborhood, interviewed three of their MPN partners: Tandem, Partners in Early Learning, Mission Graduates, and Jamestown Community Center. In our interviews with each organization, we learned why their community-rooted services are so vital to the Mission Promise Neighborhood (MPN) model, how they work across different community partners to maximize their reach, and why collaboration is key for them. We are proud to share our interview conversation with Tandem, Partners in Early Learning. CPNN will be sharing the other two conversations throughout the Summer.
Tandem, Partners in Early Learning is working at the intersection of social justice and early childhood education. Collaborating alongside Bay Area school districts, early childhood education providers, and community-based organizations, they strive to co-create equitable, high-quality early learning experiences for children. Abriendo Puertas is a national curriculum that focuses on early childhood development, early literacy, health, social-emotional well-being, numeracy, school preparation, and parent advocacy. In San Francisco, Tandem’s Early Learning Specialist Margarita Gomez and San Francisco Program Supervisor Carola Mulero, are local practitioners leveraging this service model to listen to and implement services based on the critical needs of the local community.
In our interview with Margarita and Carola, we learned about how their work with Tandem through Abriendo Puertas is bridging crucial resources and holistic support to empower underserved mothers, children, and families.
Interviewer: Why is your work vital to the Mission District and the community?
Margarita Gomez: My job is to be a facilitator of the Abriendo Puertas program, where I receive the recently arrived immigrant community members and guide them in the education of their children. It is a popular educational program, in the sense that from home we can be the teachers—the first teachers of our children. I teach them how to advocate for their children in schools, at the doctor's, and how to guide them in healthy, wholesome nutrition. We connect them with resources in MEDA and across other MPN partners, which in turn helps them find housing, jobs, computer classes, food, since we know that they are newcomers. We direct them and we guide them to where they can go. These are through sessions in which all the mothers participate and learn from each other.
Interviewer: What exactly is the work that you do with Abriendo Puertas?
Margarita: We implement Abriendo Puertas twice a year, with a total of 30 mothers. We hold 10 meetings with them, and distribute 120 books among participants during each session. This material is important because it is how they have the tools to be able to start reading to their little ones at an early age. We also listen to the needs of the mothers, which is what is important. Through the different Tandem programs, I also offer readings to the children and technical assistance and workshops to the educators in the schools. I also offer playgroups in some of the different agencies.
Carola: We have programs in the mission that are dedicated to the more formal schools, such as the district schools. Then we also have formal schools, but they are run by agencies. Through another program that we have called Read&Play, we also offer playgroups and facilitate workshops for educators from this program who have family childcare. So Margarita offers a demonstration of how to do a reading and then, based on that reading, she has already developed an activity and facilitates the activity with the mothers, with the fathers, with the caregivers who are present, and the children. The goal is for them to learn, to teach them from a more open point of view, one that is not obligatory.
Interviewer: What partnerships within the MPN network complement or maximize your work?
Carola: MEDA [the backbone agency for Mission Promise Neighborhood] is a great resource for Margarita because every time she facilitates the Opening Door sessions, she is constantly connecting to the mothers within the different services that MEDA has. In regards to housing, for example, there are many mothers who, when they arrive, do not have a home, so Margarita connects them with MEDA too. MEDA helps them find accommodations and settles them.
There are also English classes. Through these classes, Margarita creates that bridge to the Department of Education because they are the ones who provide the funding for the schools and agencies that Margarita works with in the Mission.
Another example– there is a very important event that takes place in the Spring called Children's Book Day, and if I remember correctly, we have been participating in this event for six years now, which is a very big event in the Mission neighborhood organized by the San Francisco Library. Margarita leads it with volunteers that she works with through Opening Doors. She even knows the people she serves, and through Tandem, we donate 400 books, most of them in Spanish or bilingual, so that there is also exposure to Spanish and facilitation to English as well. And this is an event organized by the San Francisco Library.
Interviewer: How does collaboration with MPN partners create greater impact for mission families?
Margarita: The truth is we are connected, and the impact is that mothers, especially new mothers, are the ones who have the greatest need. They come homeless, they arrive at a shelter, and they arrive with practically nothing. So, what we do is connect them so that they can get all the available resources to help the immigrant community. For example, MPN is connected to Support for Families, an agency that goes to mothers who have children with disabilities. The families connect with that agency, and that agency guides them. Support for Families are not therapists, they are not doctors, but they have all the connections to send the mother with the needs that the child has to them. And it is a great help, as I say, they guide them, because they arrive without knowing where to go.
Since we started Abriendo Puertas, those contacts, those families, those mothers, don't just disappear like that, they're done, okay, goodbye. No, we follow up with them. We continue giving them resources. They also send us messages. For example, one mother whose girl is already in third grade sent us messages, thanking us for the support, thanking us for the tools, thanking us for the books we gave her for her daughter.
And that is what we do, to ensure that these contacts are not lost.
Carola: Through the different programs that we have at Tandem, one is called Story Cycles, which is a bag rotation program through the schools, and Margarita is in charge of that. She visits the classes and she is on top of the teacher and tells him how it is going, how the rotation is going, whether it is working or not, and how they can help them. Margarita is constantly helping the Story Cycles program work, and when it works, the children, in the end access at least 100 books a year. We offer each child in family care receives 10 books a year, and activity guides with materials in a backpack. We also offer them 4 playgroups a year that are in Spanish, Chinese and English, we do everything at the same time. Then each of the educators receives a monthly workshop based on a topic that they have indicated at the beginning of the year.
Each of our programs is designed and created to listen to the needs of the participants. If the teacher, for example, is not rotating the book bag, it is an indicator that we have to listen to the teacher and offer alternatives so that the children continue to have access to those books.
There are surveys that we do as well for the moms that Margarita also facilitates at Opening Doors, which is why I was saying we go in the direction that (the mothers) direct us.
Bridging Opportunity in Rural California: Klamath River and Corning Promise Neighborhoods
The California Promise Neighborhood Network (CPNN) is transforming communities across the state by addressing long-standing disparities in education, health, and economic stability. Among its diverse portfolio, two rural Promise Neighborhoods stand out: Klamath River Promise and Corning Promise (Everett Freeman Promise) Neighborhoods. These initiatives bring the nationally recognized Promise Neighborhood model to underserved rural regions, offering truly unique place-based strategies to improve outcomes for children and families.
Klamath River Promise Neighborhood
Klamath River Promise Neighborhood, rooted in Del Norte and Siskiyou Counties, works to improve education and career outcomes for youth in one of California’s most remote regions. The initiative emphasizes early literacy programs, college readiness, and workforce development, ensuring that students—particularly those from Indigenous backgrounds—have equitable opportunities to thrive. A notable achievement is the Klamath River Early Learning Initiative, which has expanded preschool access and introduced culturally relevant curricula to support Native learners.
Additionally, the Promise Neighborhood has focused on mental health support, recognizing the impact of historical trauma on Indigenous youth. By integrating mental health services into schools and offering trauma-informed care, Klamath Promise is paving the way for healthier, more resilient communities.
Corning Promise (Everett Freeman Promise Neighborhood)
The Corning Promise (Everett Freeman Promise Neighborhood), in collaboration with patterning organizations, have made remarkable progress in improving student outcomes and overcoming systemic barriers to educational success in rural California. Led by local schools and community partners, Corning Promise provides a continuum of solutions, including supporting positive parenting programs, recreation activities, attendance improvement initiatives, no-cost school-based therapy services, rural service integration, Career Technical Education (CTE) optimization, and other solutions that are creating conditions for children to success. Data from the state’s web-based data reporting system shows the partnering high school district has maintained its high school graduation rates at 94% for two consecutive years. One of Corning Promise’s standout initiative, investment is a district initiative focused on optimizing existing career technical education (CTE) pathways, which is helping high school students prepare for postsecondary education and vocational opportunities. The project is focused focused on system alignment through articulation of courses with colleges, building capacity of educators, increasing learning opportunities through work-based learning and job shadow days and engaging in activities leading to economic mobility and educational success.
How the Promise Neighborhood Model Works for Rural Communities
Rural communities face unique challenges, but they also have unique strengths. While access to services, healthcare, and economic opportunities can be a challenge, rural communities know how to build dynamic systems of support across with limited resources across vast geographical areas. The Promise Neighborhood model is particularly effective because it fosters cross-sector collaboration, ensuring that tribal governments, schools, healthcare providers, nonprofits, and community organizations work in tandem to provide programs and wraparound services for children and families. In places like Klamath River and Corning, this model serves as a lifeline for long-term community transformation.
A Future Built on Community Strength
Both Corning Promise and Klamath River Promise Neighborhood demonstrate how place-based, community-driven strategies can create lasting change in rural areas. By leveraging local leadership and resources, and delivering tailored support systems, these initiatives are not only improving individual outcomes, but ensuring stronger, more resilient communities for generations to come.
CPNN commits to highlighting the remarkable work and wisdom of California’s rural Promise Neighborhoods. Stay connected to learn more about Corning Promise (Everett Freeman Promise) and Klamath Promise Neighborhoods.
Transformative Collaboration: An Introduction to CPNN's Communities of Practice (CoP) Model
Over the last few years, the California Promise Neighborhood Network (CPNN) has pioneered an innovative approach to community transformation through its Communities of Practice (CoP) model. This unique framework has become a cornerstone to CPNN’s success, proving that diverse collaboration and transparency is a model that works for Promise Neighborhoods.
CPNN is an initiative aimed at supporting communities in their efforts to improve education outcomes and address systemic challenges. Each of the six Promise Neighborhoods of CPNN (Mission, Hayward, Corning, San Diego, Chula Vista, and Klamath River) have a unique set of organizational partners, approaches, and resources to address the needs of their unique communities.
CPNN’s CoP model is a robust collaborative structure that allows neighborhoods at different stages of development to learn from one another while implementing tailored solutions. The network's Communities of Practice focus on three (3) critical areas: Chronic Absenteeism, College Retention, and Family Engagement & Partner Alignment. Each community consists of practitioners and experts from one of the six California Promise Neighborhoods. All come together intentionally to share resources and expertise, act as thought partners through each of their neighborhood’s toughest challenges, and build sustainability for the statewide network. The leaders embedded in these neighborhoods—from school administrators to community organizers—bring vital local knowledge that, when combined with CPNN's structured support, creates powerful momentum for change.
"You're working with people. It's not static. It's a constant development of learning, how to adapt. That's what makes CPNN different. We are intentionally putting resources, and time towards making a difference across communities," explains Dr. Iris Zuniga, one of the CPNN Consultants supporting theCoP model. “What makes this model particularly effective is its recognition that each promise neighborhood is at a different level of the work. Ten years of investment versus a few years make a difference. By creating spaces where established neighborhoods can share their hard-earned wisdom while newer initiatives bring fresh perspectives, CPNN fosters an ecosystem of continuous improvement and mutual support.”
The impact of this approach was evident during the CPNN San Diego convening last October, where neighborhoods engaged in a gallery walk to review program strategies and data sets from each community. This collaborative experience allowed participants to identify blind spots, provide feedback, and refine their strategies through collective wisdom.
CPNN's CoP model represents not only a framework for collaboration, but a testament to what's possible when communities come together with a shared purpose and vision. Best practices emerge across focus areas. Concrete action commitments are made by participating neighborhoods— from Hayward Promise’s deep focus on reducing chronic absenteeism, to Corning Promise's approach to prioritizing mental health for young people— these communities implement evidence-based strategies, adapting them to their unique contexts, all while building impact and sustainability.
“These practices represent the culmination of shared learning and collaboration.” explains Dr. Zuniga, “By leveraging collective wisdom and sharing the burden of problem-solving, neighborhoods can maximize their opportunity as a true Network.”
Learn more about CPNN’s Communities of Practice work, including their launch of a new CoP Toolkit later this year, by subscribing to CPNN’s newsletter and following CPNN on LinkedIn and X.
Promise Neighborhood Leaders Gather in Hayward, CA: Showcasing the Vision of an Inspiring ‘Education City’
In April 2024, the California Promise Neighborhood Network convened leaders and advocates in Hayward, CA, spotlighting the city’s bold vision as California’s first “Education City.” Hosted by the Hayward Promise Neighborhood (HPN), the event showcased how wraparound services, innovative programs, and community collaboration are transforming lives. Highlights included powerful student success stories at Brenkwitz High School, a tour of HPN’s creative “Makers” space, and a panel of city leaders emphasizing the power of partnership to break cycles of poverty. The gathering celebrated a decade of progress while issuing a rallying call to sustain and expand the Promise Neighborhood movement’s impact.
Back in April, the California Promise Neighborhood Network welcomed guests from all over the country for their annual convening. This year’s gathering took place in Hayward, CA, located in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area. Hosted by the Hayward Promise Neighborhood (HPN), one of six California Promise Neighborhoods, the event was a beaming reflection of the history of bold leadership and innovative success that has permeated the State since the beginning of the 2012 Promise Neighborhood movement in California.
Inspired by Geoffrey Canada's Harlem Children's Zone, the Promise Neighborhood movement aims to break the cycle of poverty by providing wraparound support services to children and families living in distressed communities. These initiatives recognize that education is not just about what happens within school walls, but is deeply intertwined with several social and economic factors. By addressing these systemic issues holistically, Promise Neighborhoods aims to create environments where every child can thrive.
On this special day, education advocates and community leaders across all of the State’s programs and folks from supporting agencies across the country proudly came together to meet each other and share insights, strategies, and success stories.
Hayward Promise Neighborhood leaders were enthusiastically poised to host this year, evident in the opening remarks from Mayor Mark Salinas and Edgar Chavez, HPN Executive Director. A beautiful story of multigenerational success from Julieta Martinez, HPN beneficiary and current outreach coordinator, and her daughter, Samantha Lopez Martinez, set the tone for a day of immersive gathering and storytelling. But it was the Mayor’s initial declaration of Hayward’s impressive track to becoming California's first Education City that had hosts like Chavez noticeably eager to show guests what being an “Education City” was all about.
What is an “Education City?”
At the core of this vision is the belief that cities that are home to every educational system - from preschool to higher education - should be able to work collectively with local government, businesses, community organizations, and families to ensure that every child has a seamless pathway from birth to career. The concept of an “Education City” is also a lens for all leaders to ensure that policies, practices, and priorities serve the purpose of building economic and educational opportunities for all community members. Promise Neighborhoods serve as a critical equity strategy for this concept by investing in the neighborhoods with the highest child poverty rates and ensuring that programs and resources reach the families they were designed to support.
Chavez describes several Key Pillars for how HPN supports the Education City Concept:
Comprehensive Support Services: Children cannot succeed academically if their basic needs are not met. Therefore, a range of support services, including healthcare, mental health counseling, housing assistance, and nutrition programs, reduce sources of stress in households and ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive.
High-Quality Education: Central to the education city concept is the provision of high-quality education from early childhood through post-secondary education. HPN works closely with local schools to implement evidence-based practices, provide professional development for schools, and create enriching learning environments that meet students where they’re at, and inspire them to reach their full potential.
Community Engagement and Empowerment: HPN understands that sustainable change can only happen when communities are actively engaged in the process, which is why they prioritize community empowerment through initiatives such as community leadership initiatives, youth councils, and neighborhood revitalization projects that give residents a voice and tools in shaping their future and of their community.
Economic Development and Opportunity: An essential aspect of the education city concept is the creation of economic opportunities that uplift families and provide pathways out of poverty. HPN partners with the city and career technical education programs to engage local businesses and organizations to offer job training, entrepreneurship programs, and internship opportunities that equip students and residents with the skills and resources they need to succeed in the workforce.
A Commitment to Building Momentum: The History of Hayward Promise
Since its inception in 2012 through California State University Hayward (now California State University, East Bay), HPN has made significant strides in improving educational outcomes and fostering community resilience. What started as a federally funded, place-based initiative in the Jackson Triangle Neighborhood, HPN monitored data on 15 indicators mandated under the 1993 Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). Over the course of the program, HPN leaders supported these “GPRA Indicators” through three partnership networks: Early Learning Network (ELN), Cradle-to-Career Education Reform Network (C2CERN), and Neighborhood Health and Empowerment Network (NHEN). Over time, HPN saw that its commitment to investing in these indicators was working, and the program expanded to serve more parts of the city. Over the last 14 years, kindergarten readiness, graduation, and college enrollment rates have increased, and families reported feeling more connected and supported. Despite the growth and success of HPN, leaders within the Network realized that challenges remain, including persistent poverty, inadequate funding, and additional systemic barriers.
Modeling the Hayward “Education City” Promise
On the first day of the convening, several tours filled the schedule. The first stop at the Hayward Public Library was a room filled with educators, administrators, and community partners from HPN’s C2CERN. Focused conversation could be heard on topics such as innovative solutions to increasing attendance, and ideas on promoting pathways for college and career readiness. On full display was Hayward’s education ecosystem, engaged in powerful, and sometimes emotional conversations while deeply listening to each other’s perspectives and expertise. Evident was HPN’s commitment to collaboration and collective thought partnership with their educational experts.
“I grew up with nothing, and now I just want to give what I have received to everyone else.”
Guests’ next stop was Brenkwitz High School, an alternative high school providing smaller class sizes, flexible scheduling, and a strong counseling program for 16 to18-year-olds. Perhaps the most convincing of HPN’s impact was hearing from Brenkwitz’s students themselves. In a panel, current students detailed stories of going from dismay and defeat, to curiosity and thriving in their education journeys. They discussed ways the school helped to build their lens on what was possible, and how opportunities and supportive mentors such as their school Principal, Dr. Beavers, and Student Success Coach, Michael Harris, showed them what they were capable of. One of the student panelists described how connection and intentional investments changed his viewpoint on his future: “I grew up with nothing, and now I just want to give what I have received to everyone else.”
The tour continued to an unassuming classroom at the back of the campus. Opening the door revealed a portal of possibilities, where tools and materials, including a series of 3D printers, a T-shirt press, and video equipment lined the room in stations. Projects, both finished and unfinished, sat displayed in a scattered but artful sequence. We learned of the esteemed Mr. Liu and his “Makers” space– what he describes on the door as an “incubator for innovation and entrepreneurship.” Here, students were able to explore the intersections of academics, creativity, and entrepreneurship, something many of the students described as what catalyzed their interests in their education.
The tour concluded with a panel of local Promotores and Family Navigators from Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center and Community Child Care Council (4Cs) of Alameda County. Moderated by Rosemary Vazquez, Family Engagement and Equity Specialist at Cherryland Elementary School, these women shared moving stories of how each bridged gaps between neighborhood families and the education system. They provided insights into a critical network of support through in-language check-ins and culturally informed access to services and resources that kept families healthy, going to school, and engaged in their children’s education. This look into the often invisible components of such a holistic operation was to understand that HPN was highly intentional of the unique needs of its beloved families and students.
“Transformative education, the center of HPN’s vision, was more than possible.”
The tour ended with a beautiful summation of HPN’s collaborative values– a panel of city education leaders, including Cal State East Bay President Cathy Sandeen; City of Hayward Mayor, Mark Salinas; 4Cs Executive Director, Renee Herzfeld; Hayward Unified Superintendent Dr. Jason Reimann; and Chabot College Vice President of Student Services, Matthew Kritscher. Each highlighted their collaborative roles and how their institutions planned to continue to support HPN’s vision around education. A most valuable message amongst the group was that “collaboration is alignment and not competition,” and this is vital to the success of advancing HPN’s vision.
Worthwhile Investment
A mesmerizing sunset over the back of California State East Bay’s campus saw departing guests off after an afternoon of reception festivities and networking. A parting message for all, including those visiting from one of CPNN’s other five Promise Neighborhoods:
However, a more implicit message gleaned from the day: “How do we continue to support and sustain this success?” For other leaders, advocates, policymakers, and philanthropists, the experience as a first-hand witness to HPN’s grassroots movement was a call to action. All have a role in ensuring the CA Promise Neighborhood Network thrives for generations to come. Whether it is funding more Success Coaches, continuing education for teachers, or materials for school classrooms, securing long-term resources is paramount to the Promise Neighborhood movement, and something Network partners have more than proven is a worthwhile investment
Editor’s Note: In October, 2024, after the writing of this blog piece, Cal State East Bay, who is the lead collaborative partner for HPN, announced a new agreement with Hayward Unified and San Leandro Unified School Districts to automatically enroll qualified graduating students. You can read more about this here.