Peyton Schick has built her career on helping children thrive. A desire to help support the whole child has pulled her along a trajectory, from the classroom into administration, and now a role as a City Connects Program Manager.
“I was drawn to City Connects because of its commitment to comprehensive student support,” said Schick. “The model recognizes that academic success is deeply tied to a student’s well-being, and I wanted to be part of a system that prioritizes both.”
Program Managers are instrumental to the success of Coordinators, their schools, and, thus, students. For Schick, her impact can be magnified across Minnesota’s 11 City Connects schools. On any given day, Schick might be supporting several campuses, providing leadership, coaching, and supervision to various Coordinators. She also constantly builds partnerships with school leaders and utilizes data to help principals, Coordinators, and their colleagues drive decision-making and maintain fidelity to the City Connects model.
Schick also helps cultivate relationships with community organizations to expand access to resources that help students thrive inside and outside the classroom.
City Connects has been implemented in Minnesota Catholic Schools for 10 years. Schick and the City Connects Coordinators ensure that the students in each school receive the right supports at the right time.
Schick brings valuable experience as a former classroom teacher and Senior Administrative Program Coordinator.
Speaking of her time as a teacher, she said,
“I saw how external challenges—mental health struggles, family instability, or lack of resources—directly impacted my students’ ability to learn. This experience led me to pursue a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, where I worked with young students in a school-based therapy setting.”
The role of Program Manager allows Schick to blend her expertise from different disciplines to enact meaningful change. “I’m motivated by the idea that we can bridge gaps when we make a conscious effort to dig deeper into each student’s circumstances,” she said, citing the Whole Class Review (WCR) as an effective way in which such assessment occurs.
As part of the City Connects model, every student receives a WCR. The City Connects Coordinator in a school will meet with teachers, coaches, and other school administrators to assess the strengths and needs of every child. From there, a personalized, tailored plan is created to give these students opportunities to learn and thrive.
For some, this could be as simple as an afterschool art class. For others, it could be resources to alleviate food insecurity, health issues, or homelessness. These plans connect students to available community resources to address these strengths and needs. The Coordinator then discusses the plan with a student’s family before finalizing the recommendations and implementing the plan.
As an example of these connections to local resources, Schick discussed a collaboration with Youth Catholic Camp, which offers summer camp programming for youth ages seven to 17. “Through this partnership,” she said, “our goal is to provide a select group of students with the opportunity to attend camp at a discounted rate.”
Schick has also spearheaded a partnership with Kidokinetics, a program that offers sports and fitness activities via an inclusive approach so that every youth, regardless of prior athletic experience, can participate. Relatedly, she’s used the results of a student-interest survey to drive outreach to community partners who help expand access to other activities, including boxing lessons, art classes, and LEGO-building workshops.
As part of the Whole Class Review process, students are asked to complete a survey at the beginning of each school year. They are asked questions about what activities they enjoy, and these answers, along with insights from teachers, staff, family members, and coordinators who know them, help form the basis for their tailored plans for success.
Schick has been effective at nurturing new and established partnerships at events such as Minnesota’s first annual City Connects Community Partner Breakfast and Summer Service Fair. She appreciates the teamwork required for the City Connects model to succeed.
“I’m inspired by everyone involved and the collaboration that makes City Connects thrive here in Minnesota,” Schick said. “Coordinators are central to the program, principals are the heart of our schools, and their leadership makes this work possible. Finally, our community partners also play a vital role, supporting students and families across all domains: health, family, academic, and SEB [Social-Emotional and Behavioral]. Together, they are narrowing the opportunity gap and changing lives.”
Schick exemplifies not only the supportive role of the Program Manager but also the attentive, resourceful mindset that permeates the City Connects team. She makes decisions based on information from all stakeholders, including the students themselves. It’s an organization-wide approach that helps every student feel seen and heard.
