Blending Resources for a Collaborative Service Project in a Professional Development School Focused on Student Learning

Collaborative Professional Development School (PDS) relationships require financing and other supports that may not be typically included in the budgets for partnering schools and colleges. In the current economic climate, budgets are especially tight in many educational institutions. In order to sustain PDS relationships in these times, stakeholders need to find ways to blend resources to accomplish joint goals. This article describes one project that utilized the staffing power of student teachers, the purchasing power of a public school, and a small PDS mini-grant from the Canisius College Office of Educational Partnerships to create literacy intervention kits to foster student learning. Benefits for all partners are discussed, and suggestions are shared for designing collaborative projects in other PDS settings.