Since 2019, the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) has gathered students, family and community members, educators, researchers, and partners to forge meaningful connections across culturally and linguistically diverse communities, share best practices for community engagement, and support one another during challenging times—all while peer leading and learning to accomplish these goals. The stories highlighted below offer lessons and models for other schools and districts looking to engage their communities more deeply and effectively.
This issue of Voices from the Field introduces the Azusa Unified School District (AUSD), one of five CEI: Cohort I districts, and highlights the experiences, voices, and stories of five members of their CEI Team: the Superintendent, a Parent, a Principal, the Director of Communications and Community Engagement, and the Director of Metrics and LCAP.

Through its participation in the CEI, Azusa Unified is addressing its current Problem of Practice: 
Post distance learning to increase parents'/families' sense of belonging and connectedness to their schools by ensuring there are strong, efficient two-way communication, relationship-building opportunities, and connections to students’ academic and social-emotional progress.
Scroll down to learn more about the Azusa Unified School District
and hear their Voices from the Field stories...
Azusa Unified School District Voices from the Field...
Introduction by
Steven Sterling Mitchell
Assistant Director,
Community Engagement and System of Support, CCEE
Arturo Ortega
Superintendent
Anjélica Juárez
Director of Communications and Community Engagement
Jennifer Wiebe
Principal of Powell Elementary School of the Arts
Jennifer Edic Bryant
Director of Metrics and LCAP
Luz Fernández
Parent
More information about the Azusa Unified School District...
Nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, the City of Azusa is a suburb of Los Angeles comprised of a diverse community of residents with a rich history of engagement in education.

Azusa Unified is a PK-12 school district with approximately 7,180 students. The first official school was constructed in 1868 and today Azusa Unified is comprised of 8 elementary schools, 1 TK-8 school, 1 preschool, 3 middle schools, 3 high schools, and 1 adult education center.
AUSD Demographics:
  • 92% Latino/Latinx
  • 3% White
  • 2% Asian
  • 1% African American
  • 1% Filipino
  • 1% Other or not reported
  • 24% English learners/emerging multilingual students
  • 81% Low-SES households
  • 15% students with disabilities
AUSD Community Engagement Conceptional Framework

Community Engagement in Azusa Unified forms the base for all of their work. Every department and school creates links to its parents, families, and students as they implement, improve, and serve all students in their community. Rather than have one department that focuses on community engagement, Azusa Unified chooses to make community engagement part of every department and the responsibility of all.
Questions about
Azusa USD's Journey?

Contact:
Anjélica Juárez,
Director of Communications and Community Engagement

Azusa Unified School District Website: www.azusa.org


Follow Azusa USD:
What is CEI?
The Community Engagement Initiative is a five-year effort intended to strengthen the System of Support by building the capacity of school districts to authentically engage one another. This includes identifying effective models of community engagement, developing metrics to evaluate those models, having difficult conversations, building trusting relationships, and participating in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) development process.
Visit us at californiaengage.org.
Contact us via Nicole LoBese at nlobese@ccee-ca.org.
Follow us on social media:
Visit CEI Lead Agencies:
California Collaborative for Educational Excellence: ccee-ca.org
San Bernardino Superintendent of Schools: sbcss.k12.ca.us
California Association for Bilingual Education: gocabe.org
Families in Schools: familiesinschools.org