Connecting Families and Schools

My Brother's Keeper  

My Brother's Keeper program is a joint collaboration between Watertown City School District (WCSD) and Jefferson County 4-H Youth Development. 4-H Youth Development provides a family engagement program for students in K-12 grade who attend WCSD. Family engagement will include one-on-one assistance, small group activities, and large group education and literacy events to engage all families in their child(ren)'s education. To learn more about the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, visit nysed.gov/mbk. 

Community Schools    

The Community Schools program is a joint collaboration between Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, Belleville Henderson Central School, Sackets Harbor Central School, Copenhagen Central School, LaFargeville Central School, and Jefferson-Lewis BOCES. The Community Schools Coordinators in these school districts will provide 4-H Youth Development programming to students in grades 6-12. They will also engage families in each community in a variety of events and activities. To learn more about the NYS Community Schools program, visit nyscommunityschools.org. 

Spartans Strong DoDEA Project - South Jefferson Central School District  

Spartans Strong is a collaboration between Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Jefferson County (CCE) and the South Jefferson Central School District (SJCSD).CCE will provide 4-H Youth Development programming to students in grades 6-8.Additionally, CCE will engage families in a variety of events and activities. Overall goals are to increase commitment to school, demonstrate growth in social-emotional skills and reduce chronic absenteeism. To learn more about the program contact Kara Coon, 315-788-8450 ext. 244 or email kjc264@cornell.edu. 

Community Assets Resiliency Education (CARE)  

The Community Assets Resiliency Education (CARE) Program, funded by the New York State Department of Health, supports 10-to-13-year-olds and their caregivers as they approach middle adolescence. Research shows that programs like CARE improve pro-social behavior, reduce problem behaviors, and boost academic performance. It also helps caregivers talk to adolescents about risky behaviors, fostering healthier family dynamics. CARE provides services in four specific zip codes in Jefferson County, New York, through three interconnected program components to enhance youth resiliency. To learn more about CARE, visit CARE.

Last updated February 26, 2025