Back-to-school season has been busy well beyond Durham.

Our Community Schools partners have been welcoming students, families, educators, and neighbors back in ways that remind us that schools are more than buildings. They are part of communities. At W.B. Wicker Elementary School in Lee County, staff started the year with a community bus tour. Educators climbed aboard two buses and traveled through the neighborhoods their students call home, creating an opportunity to see the community through their students’ perspectives and have deeper conversations about the experiences families bring to school each day. In Roseboro, nearly 400 people joined the Lakewood District Community School Cookout. Food, a foam party, water from the fire trucks, and plenty of fun brought families and neighbors together to celebrate the start of another school year. And in Columbus County, our team joined the Back-to-School Event at Southeastern Community College, connecting families with resources alongside community partners, music, performances, and a fantastic turnout. Different communities, different celebrations, same big idea: when schools, families, and communities work together, students have more people and resources supporting their success.