Multimedia

A Community-Based Approach to Student and Family Well-Being

January 2022 | California Center for School Climate at WestEd

This 13-minute audiocast and accompanying brief from the California Center for School Climate at WestEd shares how the Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) in Santa Cruz County, CA, prioritizes community voice and provides support that promotes wellness through their Family Engagement and Wellness Center. Michelle Rodriguez, Superintendent of the PVUSD, characterizes their schools as the center of the community. The district has a significant population of students from lower-income families, experiencing homelessness, from migrant families, and from non-native English households. Because of PVUSD’s whole child approach, families often reach out to school staff for wraparound services such as mental health, academic, and legal resources.