As 2025 comes to a close, we are reflecting on accomplishments and the good work of City Connects and the Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children.
Our proudest moments are often in the special relationships built between City Connects Coordinators, students, families, and teachers, and in the partnerships that Coordinators facilitate between schools and community organizations that bring warm clothing, food, eyeglasses, new experiences, and joy to students.
These accomplishments inspire us to celebrate the growth of City Connects and its impacts on the lives of children, and on research, practice, and policy. This year, we celebrate:
A Network of Support
Inside a School Powered by City Connects: A Photo Essay
Step inside the hallways of Salem Public Schools, where City Connects Coordinators are transforming everyday interactions into moments of connection and support. What began as a visit to capture photographs turned into a deeper exploration of the relationships and everyday moments that help students thrive. Through everyday moments—like hallway check-ins or quick words of encouragement—Coordinators create a school environment where students feel seen, supported, and empowered to reach their potential. Explore how integrated student support is shaping school culture and improving outcomes.
In this post, see the impact of City Connects’ partnership with Salem Public Schools—and what it looks like when every child’s strengths and needs are recognized.
A Hungry Child Can’t Learn
Hunger makes learning harder. As more families face food insecurity this winter, City Connects is expanding partnerships with community organizations to ensure students have reliable access to nutritious food. From mobile food pantries to connecting families to food and grocery resources, Coordinators work every day to remove barriers to student success. When basic needs are met, students can show up to school ready to learn.
See how City Connects is addressing food insecurity in this blog post.
Making Summer Magic: City Connects Coordinators Secure Summer Support for Families
When school doors close, City Connects Coordinators get to work—connecting families with everything from sailing lessons and summer learning programs to bikes and food support.
In this blog post, read about how Coordinators across the country are partnering with communities to ensure students stay safe, supported, and smiling all summer long.
Celebrating the People Doing Great Work
The Work We Do: Peyton Schick Connects Minnesota Schools
Peyton Schick has dedicated her career to fostering children’s well-being and success. Stepping into her role as a City Connects Program Manager, she emphasizes the importance of comprehensive student support, merging her experience from teaching and administration to enhance educational outcomes for over 11 schools in Minnesota. Schick believes in the power of collaboration among coordinators, principals, and community partners to address students’ diverse needs and truly exemplifies the supportive role of the Program Manager.
Read more about her impactful work and how City Connects is helping children thrive in this post.
Giraffes, basketballs, and groceries: A community approach to early math learning
Early math skills—like counting, measurement, and spatial awareness—are key predictors of later learning, yet they often don’t get the same attention as early literacy.
That’s why the Center for Thriving Children’s executive director Eric Dearing has created a partnership with Math Talks and a local community in Boston to change that.
By embedding math into everyday moments for students and families to engage in, from pediatric visits featuring life-sized giraffes and playful measurement activities to neighborhood math trails in Dudley Square, these initiatives are helping caregivers, doctors, and local businesses make early math part of daily life. In partnership with many community organizations and local businesses, this whole-community approach is helping shape the future of early math learning.
Discover how Dearing and his team are bringing a holistic, community-focused approach to early mathematics education in this blog post.
The Work We Do: Omega Robinson Creating Pathways in Indiana
City Connects Coordinator Omega Robinson is making a difference at Sankofa School of Success in Indiana. As the City Connects Coordinator for the past three years for the Sankofa School of Success, she has played a key role in connecting students and families with essential resources.
Read more about Robinson’s impact in this blog post.
Megan Bettelon believes in City Connects
As Ohio’s City Connects Program Manager, Megan Bettelon draws on seven years of experience as a Coordinator to support Catholic Central Elementary and High School in Steubenville and Our Lady of the Rosary School in Dayton. At the core of her work is coaching: guiding Coordinators, offering perspective, and helping them navigate challenges. Bettelon helps Coordinators and principals use data to uncover trends and shape their schoolwide approach to student support—whether that means helping students make new friends, addressing food insecurity, or connecting families with local resources.
Read the full story about Bettelon’s journey and her vision for supporting Ohio’s schools here.
What We Do
Connecting Policymakers to Research on What Works for Students
Policymakers play a crucial role in shaping the future of education and child wellbeing, and research can help guide decisions that improve student success. The Center for Thriving Children is bridging the gap between research and policy, providing valuable insights into how integrated student support—like the evidence-based City Connects model—can drive student academic achievement and workforce readiness, as well as cost-efficiency for taxpayers.
Learn more about the latest findings and how they are being used to inform policy here.
Reimagining Student Support in Revere
In the wake of the pandemic, Revere High School confronted complex student needs. With rising absenteeism, increased behavioral challenges, and stretched staff capacity, school leaders knew they needed a new approach to supporting students. This week’s blog shares how the school worked with the team at the Center for Thriving Children to rebuild their system of student support — creating stronger structures, clearer processes, and more proactive support for every student.
Read the full story on how Revere High School is working to improve support for its students.
What is a Whole Class Review?
When a new school year begins, City Connects Coordinators focus on building relationships that form the foundation for student success. Through the Whole Class Review process, they work with teachers and families to understand each student’s strengths, needs, and interests—ensuring every child is seen and supported from day one.
This blog post shows how Coordinators are working with schools to help students thrive.
