Charlottesville City Schools staff told the board the division had been awarded a $235,000 community‑schools planning and implementation grant to build an infrastructure of wraparound supports and to launch a Community Mentorship Coalition (CMC).

Staff said the grant will fund a one‑year community‑school specialist position, program initiatives targeting literacy, attendance and mentorship, a van to transport students and supplies, and other start‑up costs. The CMC will convene partners including families, nonprofits, the City of Charlottesville, the University of Virginia, businesses and other community members to coordinate supports spanning early literacy to career readiness.

The district described three CMC program initiatives: (1) the Confidence and Comprehension Club (Triple C), a K–6 volunteer tutoring and reading club using division‑provided literacy software and take‑home kits; (2) Bridge Builders, for grades 7–8, offering monthly team‑building and mentorship activities and “real talk” circles on identity and mental health; and (3) The Lab (Life Ready Academy) for high school students offering rotating workshops on financial literacy, resume writing, car maintenance, nutrition, time management, tenants’ rights and career exposure, with each senior matched to a mentor to support transition after graduation.

Staff said the grant also funds a digital talent bank to register volunteers, and organizers plan an advisory board and three working groups to begin meeting this month. Abigail Ferguson, the division’s new family and community engagement outreach specialist, was introduced to the board; Ferguson said she would support partner coordination, outreach and workshops.

Board members raised questions about sustainability after the one‑year grant and about partnering with city agencies and community centers to place programs closer to neighborhoods. Staff said the proposal included a sustainability plan and that conversations about partner and city funding would continue as the advisory group forms.

Why this matters: The grant creates a funded opportunity to coordinate school‑based wraparound services and formalize partnerships that district staff said already exist; if sustained, the initiative would expand volunteer tutoring, mentoring and life‑skills programming across the division.