What began in 2017 as a wondering about how to better engage community in our public schools has led to a community-driven strategic plan and a host of enabling community partnerships. Manchester Proud’s core purpose of facilitating systemic change has yielded considerable progress, notwithstanding that much remains to be done.

All the while, as we have pursued our mission and supported our partners in the Manchester School District, we have also been building our own capacity for ongoing and future success. To ensure that our efforts are always relevant and impactful: Our Council and Work Group model, uniquely structured to promote volunteerism, has been strengthened to more effectively employ the talents, experiences, and resource of our generous supporters; We have brought on key staff (1.5 paid positions), where needed to boost our essential work in school-community partnerships and community communications; And, we are currently on-ramping ten new Champion’s Council members to enhance our leadership’s skills, insights, and community representation.

Today, Manchester Proud’s combination of performance-based credibility and expanded capacity sets the stage for the exploration of next level opportunities. As supporters, you should know that we are currently examining our organizational model to ensure continued leadership development and focus on initiatives that drive high-level change. We will also be spending our summer fully on-boarding our new Council members and preparing for late summer strategic planning sessions of our own! Thank you for making all of this possible. Know that we’re here today, striving to earn your confidence and valued support – and we’ll be here tomorrow, continuing to partner with our friends at the Manchester School District to make our public schools truly exceptional.