The Weekly INBrief is an email for supporters wishing to remain informed and inspired about United Way's mission to crush poverty in Erie County. This weekly messages includes information that may inspire new opportunities to help build a thriving Erie community for all.

From national recognition to local leadership—this week’s edition takes you behind the scenes at the 2025 National Community Schools Conference in Minneapolis! We’re highlighting the sessions led by our very own United Way staff, spotlighting Sara Naughton’s exciting new national leadership role, and sharing takeaways from site visits and statewide collaboration opportunities.👇

Highlights from the 2025 National Community Schools Conference

Last week, staff from United Way of Erie County traveled to Minneapolis to attend the 2025 National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference. This annual gathering brings together educators, community partners, and nonprofit leaders from across the country to share strategies that strengthen school-community partnerships and support student success.

In attendance were United Way staff - Mike Jaruszewicz, Executive Vice President, Sara Naughton, Director of Data & Evaluation, and Courtney Tirak, Community School Director at Pfieffer-Burleigh Elementary. Also, Bill Herlihy from UPMC Safe Harbor, our partner in the Full-Service Community School case management project and Incoming Erie Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Natalyn Gibbs attended, showing their commitment to supporting the Community Schools Model.

Mike Jaruszewicz, led a session titled Student Walking Safety: How Cross-Sector Partnerships Help Students Get to School Safely & On Time. The session explored actionable strategies to address walking hazards through community collaboration. Attendees learned how United Way of Erie County works with partners to secure infrastructure funding, implement beautification projects, and use technology to identify high-risk areas—all aimed at ensuring students arrive at school safely and on time.

Sara Naughton presented Completing the Community School Continuum: Designing Data Systems for a High School Launch. Her session focused on the importance of stakeholder-informed data systems that drive continuous improvement in Community Schools. She shared how United Way tailored evaluation tools during the launch of a high school model, ensuring alignment between student needs, measurable outcomes, and sustainable strategies.

Big Congratulations to Sara Naughton!

One of the biggest moments of the week came during Thursday’s reception when Sara Naughton was officially announced as the incoming Co-Chair of the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) United Way Learning Community. In this national leadership role, Sara will help guide a network of United Way leaders across the country, fostering collaboration, sharing innovative practices, and advancing the Community Schools movement nationwide.

In addition to presenting, the team:

• Visited Minneapolis-area Community Schools to see the model in action and exchange ideas with local leaders.
• Attended the Pennsylvania State Community School Coalition meetup to collaborate with other state-based initiatives.
• Facilitated a United Way Networking Lunch, bringing together representatives from across the country to share insights, challenges, and strategies unique to United Way’s role in Community Schools.

As always, thank you for supporting our work!