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Open Job Interview Days at the ESC
Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of students? 
Join us on March 26, April 11 or May 7 for open job interviews. We’re hiring intervention specialists and related services professionals across the Central Ohio region. 

Family & Community Partnerships

The Ohio Department of Education has provided funding for educational service centers (ESCs) to staff Family and Community Partnership liaisons. Funding was made available to each ESC to staff one position in response to the increased needs of school districts and families due to COVID-19. 

The Family and Community Partnership liaisons are tasked with accomplishing two purposes:
1. Connect schools, families and youth to community resources and local systems of care.
2. Provide professional development to enhance the capacity of local school districts to deliver effective family engagement.

Family, School & Community Resources

The list linked below provides resources and program information related to serving foster youth, English learners, homelessness, students with disabilities, family engagement, and much more. For questions please contact [email protected].

A.C.T. Newsletter

Welcome to the A.C.T. for Youth in Care newsletter! A.C.T. stands for the advocating, collaborating, and transforming we do to help youth in foster care.

A.C.T. is a collective of liaisons from 8 ESCs across the state, funded by ODE: ESC of Central Ohio, Allen County ESC, Athens-Meigs ESC, Brown County ESC, ESC of Eastern Ohio, Greene County ESC, Hamilton County ESC, and Ashtabula County ESC.

October 2022: Cross Systems Collaboration
December 2022: Family Partnerships & Special Education
March 2023: ESSA Best Practices
May 2023: Best of A.C.T.
November 2023: Supporting & Partnering with Kinship Families
February 2024: Transition Planning for Youth in Care

Professional Development Opportunities

The Family & Community Partnerships Liaison's work may be tailored to meet the specific needs of districts or schools. However, below are some focused professional development topics that may be of interest. Please email [email protected] for more information.

  • Best Practices in School Based Community Partnerships | Utilizing partners to support student successes.
  • Communication Strategies for Family Engagement | Explore two-way communication strategies using teacher-parent partnerships to support learning at home.
  • Effective Tier 3 Intervention | Collaborative and sustainable goal-centered planning.
  • Integrating Community Partners | Intentionally align with ODE's Whole Child Framework.
  • Liaison Model Programs for Vulnerable Youth | Being an effective advocate and school partner.
  • Relationship Building for Family Engagement | Asset mindset approaches, inclusive language, and welcoming school environments.
  • Using MTSS Framework and Data to Support Family Partnership | Explore family engagement strategies at each tier of the MTSS framework and how to use data to track need and interventions.

Contact the Liaison

For more information, please contact [email protected].. 


Meet the Liaison

Andrea Summers serves as the Family & Community Partnership Liaison for the ESC of Central Ohio. With more than 20 years’ experience as an educator and administrator in Out-of-School Time (OST) and co-curricular learning programs, Andrea’s expertise will guide districts in implementing effective parent engagement and community partnership strategies that serve all youth but specifically our community’s most vulnerable. Her approach puts Social Emotional Learning (SEL), for both adults and students, at the center.

Andrea holds a M.S. in Nonprofit Management, with a concentration on Education Policy, from The New School in NYC. She earned her B.A. from Antioch College in Sociology/Anthropology with a focus on Education.