Community Outreach and Engagement
At New York Appleseed, we believe those most affected by segregation and inequity must be centered in the fight to dismantle it. Our community outreach and engagement work amplifies the voices of students, families, and educators—particularly from historically marginalized communities—by creating space for shared learning, leadership development, and collaborative problem-solving. From co-facilitating coalition spaces and public workshops to partnering with parent leaders and student advocates, we work alongside communities to build power and shape policies that reflect their lived experiences and dreams for truly integrated, inclusive schools and neighborhoods.
PTAlink
PTAlink’s mission is to improve the quality of education for all children in New York City public schools by empowering parent organizations to be accessible, knowledgeable and effective. PTAlink facilitates the growth and success of parent organizations by providing parent leaders with information, tools, and support, as well as an opportunity to share experiences, best practice,s and advocacy efforts with the larger NYC parent community.
Latest news and resources about our PTAlink Program
Community Conversations for Integration
Facilitating dialogue around race, socioeconomic status, ability, language, and housing takes courage, care, and deep understanding. New York Appleseed has led numerous workshops for parents, educators, school leaders, and government officials—refining our approach to support communities in bridging divides and addressing challenges rooted in segregation.
We welcome inquiries about hosting a workshop in your school or community. Our sessions often include guided walkthroughs of strategies and foundational language to aid in advancing integration. We also offer a companion toolkit, developed in partnership with Texas Appleseed and funded by the Spencer Foundation, which compiles key resources we’ve created and collected over the past decade. Let us know how we can support your efforts.
Our Community Conversations Toolkit
This toolkit is a culmination of resources, frameworks, shared language, and activities we have found helpful when approaching students, families, and community leaders alike in advancing school integration for their own school community.
The toolkit is a product of our 5-part Community Conversations Series hosted in the fall of 2023, where we delved into the history and continuing consequences of school segregation across New York City public schools. Participants were encouraged to explore how their own educational experiences and school communities can inform and further strategies for combating segregation and promoting integration within schools.
Within this toolkit, you will discover the content of each workshop, along with materials such as worksheets, group activities, and discussion topics. We hope this can serve as a guide on how to learn, discuss, and define what meaningful integration means for yourself and your larger school community.
