These partnerships, characterized by mutual cooperation and responsibility, service many goals. These goals include increasing arts literacy, fostering imaginative learning, deepening community connections, or providing a better understanding of cultural diversity.

On-line help is available for community arts and education collaborations at Learning Partnerships, Arts Extension Service, University of Massachusetts- Amherst, working in partnership with:

The following introductory information has been extracted from the University of Massachusetts- Amherst site.

WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE ARTS AND EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP?

Characteristics of Effective Partnerships

• The partners understand shared goals that ultimately enhance student learning.
• The individual partners' own goals are met within an effective partnership.
• In sustained partnerships, the partners respect each other's values, goals, and organized cultures.
• In sustained partnerships, leadership becomes shared.
• Partners within effective partnerships assume a shared sense of ownership in the collaborative program
• Effective partnerships are creative.
• The organization and structure of sustainable partnerships must be flexible.
• Strong partnerships survive setbacks.
• Effective partnerships engage multiple community sectors.
• Good community arts and education partnerships involve multiple artistic and academic disciplines.
• The arts are valued for themselves and for their capacity to enhance student learning.
• Sustained partnerships are concerned comprehensively with education.
• Partnerships are best sustained when there is support at all levels of partner organizations.
• Effective partnerships invest in the professional development of their personnel.
• Partner institutions learn and change.
• Evaluation and documentation helps achieve partnership goals.
• Sustained partnerships create an infrastructure that supports community/school learning relations.
• Effective partnerships attract sustained funding.
• Good partnerships require persistence and patience.

KEY QUESTIONS:   What partners should be asking themselves 1st as they think about a new partnership…

Do I need any help to:

Solve a problem? Schools and community organizations often seek help to solve problems. If the interests of potential partners are complementary, a productive collaboration may yield solutions.

Meet specific student or member needs? Educators may want to reach children who haven't responded well to non-creative approaches to learning or provide in-service teacher training.

Develop, influence, or implement a plan, policy or mandate? These could include state fine arts graduation requirements, standardized tests, or implementation of local school management.

Build better community relations? Partnership programs may inspire more parent involvement in the schools and contribute to safer neighborhoods.

Better use an available resource? Expert citizens may help classroom teachers develop curricula or community groups may use school facilities after hours.

Take advantage of an opportunity? Opportunities like millennia celebrations, major exhibitions, new community leadership all suggest collaborations.

What do I need?

A principal may need help to fulfill a curriculum requirement, an arts leader may want to better serve a specific population, or a superintendent might need to invest in teachers' professional development.

Who could help me?

Early planners of a collaborative initiative will seek out partners with complementary interests and resources. Be strategic about the order and timing of partner recruitment. Often a high-profile leader such as the superintendent of schools should be sought out first or it may make more sense to build grass-root support first.

How could I help them?

Consider what you might be willing to contribute to the collaborative effort- i.e. funds, facilities, staff time, administrative services, supplies, etc.

What are my limits to working with them?

Consider what constraints limit your capacity to give time or resources to the work of the partnership. Things like the need for release time for participating teachers, retiring leadership, downsizing, or a pending major initiative should be acknowledged to other partners.

KEY QUESTIONS:   What partners should be asking themselves 2nd when they have decided to collaborate…

What are our shared goals?

Each partner may enter the venture for different reasons and may have various perceptions of the nature of the problem to be solved and goals to be achieved. One of the earliest partnership tasks is to agree upon the reason for the partnership and shared goals. A partnership that advances each other's goals is more sustainable than one that creates new initiatives outside the partners' existing priorities.

Who are we trying to help?

This will ultimately be students, however, the most direct and lasting impact may be upon the continuing professional development of classroom teachers and arts specialists. A project may also benefit artists, parents, and principals. Be strategic about the point of intervention. Be clear about who are the intended beneficiaries. They must be a central part of planning and their voices should be heard as programs are developed.

What are our specific objectives?

As you plan, convert a shared understanding of the problem into intended outcomes, then specific tasks.

Who will make fundamental decisions for the partnership?

The collaboration will have a core group of decision-makers informed be a larger circle of advisors. As partnership membership is often ill-defined, be clear about who is responsible for the initiative.

How much will it cost?

Costs and revenues are established in a written budget for the partnership or project. The budget forms a basis for the partnership agreement and sets funding targets. Budgeting will also determine the extent to which partner institutions will contribute their own resources. It is also essential to resolve how expenditures are approved and documented.

Where do we get the funds?

Determine the likely sources of funds. If fundraising or government appropriations are required, the partnership must decide who will raise the required funds from what sources. Partners must be protected from fundraising on behalf of the partnership that limit individual partners' access to their own contributed funds. At this stage, partnership plans are usually modified top suit the feasibility of funding.

How will we operate?

Partnerships invariably change in response to success and setbacks. Plans seldom proceed exactly as foreseen. It is necessary that the partners develop means for regular communication. Written agreements and periodic planning and evaluation meetings are critical. Some busy partners need the efficiencies of e-mail, fax, listservs, and web pages to facilitate communication. Partnerships that involve classroom teachers must plan for release time from teaching or critical participation of teachers will be missing. It is essential that teachers be valued and central participants in the planning.

How will we know if we are succeeding?

Establish measurable objectives and plan to gather evidence of the extent to which they are achieved.

KEY QUESTIONS:   What partners should be asking themselves 3rd as the partnership matures…

How are we doing?

Informal evaluations as the project proceeds and more formal final evaluations are critical to help the partners learn if intended outcomes are being achieved. Progress reports satisfy funders' needs for accountability.

Do we need to:

Recruit new partners? Consider if the evolving collaboration needs new or additional resources, skills, or connections.

Adjust our projects? Most collaborative initiatives are frequently revised based on evidence of early successes or setbacks.

Revise our goals or objectives? If conditions change or evaluations indicate4 the need, the partners may respond by amending their intended results.