Community School Directors are United Way of Erie County employees embedded full-time within each Community School. They serve as the on-site connector between the school and community, building relationships with students, families, staff, and partners to remove non-academic barriers to learning. By coordinating resources and aligning support, Community School Directors, with the assistance of United Way backbone staff, help ensure every student and family has what they need to succeed in school and life.
Sharnae Dunston holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology. Before joining United Way, she spent five years in student support roles at local charter schools and has worked extensively with youth in various capacities.
She takes a community-focused approach and is committed to building strong connections with families at Grover Cleveland. Her goal is to remove barriers to learning and foster greater engagement between schools and families.
Corporate Partners are integrated partners, not just donors. Their collaboration creates consistency, resources, and opportunities that directly impact student success and family well-being — key pillars of the Community Schools Model.
These businesses and organizations provide both financial and volunteer support, working side-by-side with Community School Directors to create meaningful opportunities, improve learning environments, and strengthen connections between schools and the community.
Interested in becoming a Corporate Partner? Contact Julie Chacona, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at julie@unitedwayerie.org or Anita Kuchcinski, Vice President of Development at anita@unitedwayerie.org.
This dashboard provides a comprehensive view of academic performance, attendance, and survey data for Grover Cleveland Elementary as a United Way Community School. It contains seven interactive pages, each focusing on a distinct area of data.
These stories highlight real examples of how the United Way Community Schools model is creating lasting change. From improved student engagement to stronger family connections, each story showcases the people, partnerships, and progress driving success across our community.
On Thursday, March 26, students from nine United Way Community Schools came together for an evening of problem solving, quick thinking, and high energy as they competed in Challenge 24.
Black History Month is about connecting stories to students.' It’s about helping them see themselves reflected in history, and reminding them that their goals and ideas matter.
