George Washington Community High School: analysis of a partnership network

Abstract

After five years with no public schools in their community, residents and neighborhood organizations of the Near Westside of Indianapolis advocated for the opening of George Washington Community High School (GWCHS). As a neighborhood in close proximity to the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, the Near Westside and campus worked together to address this issue and improve the educational success of youth. In fall 2000, GWCHS opened as a community school and now thrives as a national model, due in part to its network of community relationships. This account analyzes the development of the school by focusing on the relationships among the university, the high school, community organizations, and the residents of the Near Westside and highlights the unique partnership between the campus and school by defining the relational qualities and describing the network created to make sustainable changes with the high school.