Faith Community
What is Your Sphere of Influence
Did you know that most of the strengths, unique qualities and needs of our communities are represented at our local schools? The truth is that schools are a portal into the community. The same kids in your congregation are the ones sitting in the classrooms down the street!
Why Love our School Days
Love Our Schools Day is an opportunity for church members to connect with their local school – to roll up their sleeves and plant a garden, or paint a classroom. On a deeper level, this opportunity forms a connection point where your church and school leadership build friendship and trust as you work toward common goals.
How to Lead a Project
Love Our Schools Day empowers local churches to make a lasting difference in the lives of our children and the success of our local schools, simply by showing up and asking the question,
“How can we help?”
Schedule a Date
- Click the page below to find the LOSD Date of your local school(s)
- Mail: info@schoolconnectaz.org if your School District(s) are not listed
- Select a school project on the School Project Site
Select Schools
- Reach out to your current school connections, or neighborhood schools
- Search our School Project Site for schools near you! You may search by School Name, School District, or your Church Zip Code
- Contact info@schoolconnectaz.org for a list of schools requesting partners
Buld a Leadership Team
- Church Coordinator: Point Person who plans with School Principal & other School Partners
- Project Leaders: Manages specific LOSD projects
- Financial Management: Determines budget & resource availability
- Volunteer Coordinator: Recruits volunteers, assists volunteers with registration on the School Project Site, provides any helpful communication
Connect with Community Partners
- Reach out to other participating churches to promote unity
- Contact local businesses / clubs who participated last year, or might want to join
- Touch base with the main point person of all participating organizations
- Enlist the Youth Group, Young Life, or Student Council to gather Student Leaders
- Find resources for tools through the school PTO, city tools or Tool Bank, local businesses and grants
- Email School Connect for a Potential Partner List within a five mile radius of your church!
Plan Projects
- Meet with School Leadership to layout projects according to their timeline, available resources, and long term goals
- Determine Partner Roles with School Leadership Team so that you clearly understand what role and responsibility your Church Team covers
- Assess collective resources and seek out more where there are gaps
- Start with short-term, easy wins that will build into a larger impact over time
Example: Paint & stock the Teacher’s Lounge this LOSD, but plan ahead to replace chairs, coffee maker, or microwave oven later in the year - Help file paperwork with School District as needed
- Project Leaders visit the site to get a clear picture of the project, priorities, and division of labor
School Project Site
- Connect with School Leadership to help post projects online
- All Project Leaders need accounts with the School Project Site, as well as Project Admin Access to post projects, or update volunteers https://schoolconnectaz.org/
- Contact info@schoolconnectaz.org for volunteer count, or other reporting
Promote Love Our Schools Day
Effective promotion rallies support, enthusiasm & team building
- Video promotion on Sunday mornings is a great way to generate momentum ~ Contact info@schoolconnectaz.org for the LOSD promotional video below
- Recruit volunteers by sending the project links to your church email list or include them in your newsletter
- Post project info and registration links on the church website, social media, Sunday bulletin, and on the church campus
Celebrate Love Our Schools Day
We build powerful support for our children by serving our local schools…together!
- Gather Leadership Team and Volunteers to prepare before heading out! This is a great time to build camaraderie and start with a collective prayer
- Distribute unifying identification such as a church t-shirt or bracelet, or choose a common color to represent your group
- Review goals, priorities, roles and location information
- Distribute tools to Project Leaders, or send tools to locations
- Remember social media! Send out hashtags, take pictures & videos to applaud giving back
- Reconvene after project completion to celebrate your success!
Thank Partners and Follow Up
Build on the valuable connections formed through Love Our Schools Day
- Send handwritten thank-you notes to School Leadership & Community Partners
- Ask School Leadership for other opportunities to serve throughout the year
- Schedule 3 appointments over the school year calendar to serve again!
Examples Include: Teacher Appreciation Day Coffee, Thanksgiving Boxes, Church Youth Group helping at a School Pep Rally or Hosting a Paper Drive
Join Our Village
Doing this alone is impossible; it takes all of us working together to make a difference.
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Upcoming Event
Champions of Education Awards
The School Connect Champions of Education Awards was held Thursday, April 28, 2022. Together, we honored those who have built trust, modeled resilience, and cultivated courageous leadership in our education communities!