Education Pathways

Husna came to the US from East Africa when she was six or seven years old, and lived in the apartment above the original UNP-Hartland Partnership Center in Glendale. She took part in youth center programs like the Guuleysi Girls Group, which focused on fun activities, homework help, and volunteering in the community.

During high school Husna joined the Youth Leadership Committee at the center, where she was supported in applying to college and receiving several scholarships. In 2017 she will graduate from the University of Utah with a degree in International Studies. She has continued to mentor west side youth, and hopes one day to work in the East African communities from which she originally came.

Education Pathways partnerships bring together west side students, parents, educators, policymakers, community organizations, and higher ed partners to develop equitable educational access for west side families. These partnerships open up opportunities for youth and adults, while building the capacity of educational systems to meet the needs of first-generation, immigrant, new-arriving, and native-born communities. Current partnerships address a range of goals, including:

Family-School Partnerships focused on school improvement and student growth
A Diverse Educator Workforce with strong community connections
Positive School Cultures that are welcoming to families and promote pathways to higher education
Culturally-Sustaining Education in our schools and other community hubs
Youth Leaders who can effectively define and address community priorities
Adult Education Pathways that are accessible, flexible, and community-centered

See below for examples of active UNP-supported partnerships.

Our CASA

Our CASA (Communities Aspiring, Succeeding, and Achieving) is a system of higher ed-themed spaces at school and community sites across the west side. These rooms are designed to bridge school and community, offering space for programming run by parents, schools, youth, higher ed institutions, and community partners. Our CASA rooms are currently in development in partnership with six Salt Lake City sites: West High School, Northwest Middle School, Backman Elementary School, Salt Lake Center for Science Education, Glendale/Mountain View Community Learning Campus, and the Hartland Partnership Center.

A Capital City Education

A Capital City Education is a city wide initiative to cultivate a college, career and civic ready environment in Salt Lake City. Partners and collaborators from public education, city government, higher education and the Chamber of Commerce have come together to leverage the resources of community partners to support life-long learning. Cap City focuses on access to high quality early childhood education opportunities; expanded programming and services through Community Learning Centers; equitable preparation and resources to access college and career pathways leading to a livable wage, will support a vibrant and thriving Salt Lake City.

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Hartland Community 4 Youth & Families

HC4YF promotes youth development, health, and academic success through a range of activities that engage youth in their local communities, natural environment, and athletics. The Hartland Youth Soccer Club is the centerpiece of HC4YF’s youth programming. Soccer participants learn valuable team skills, build healthy lifestyles, and work with positive role models through weekly practices and games. But it doesn’t stop with soccer. HYSC monitors student grades and attendance and engages parents and teachers in order to support participants’ academic success. Soccer club players also get involved with other HC4YF activities including the Jordan River Community Initiative and “Adopt a Trail” program.

Visit HC4YF

Grow Your Own Educators

Grow Your Own Educators (GYOE) is a district-university-community partnership aimed at growing and diversifying the K-12 educator workforce in Utah. GYOE opens up pathways for engaged parents to step into assistant and paraeducator roles in schools, and for paraeducators to earn teaching licenses and become successful classroom teachers. With an emphasis on Title 1 schools in the valley's west side, GYOE lowers the financial and social barriers that members of low-income communities and communities of color face when entering the teaching profession. It is based in best practices in teacher preparation from around the country, and driven by the knowledge that educators who come from the community bring vital skills, understandings, relationships, and commitments to the challenging work of teaching young people.