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.
Shanna is an Erie native who attended Edinboro University, where she earned both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Education. A former classroom teacher and reading specialist, she is passionate about building relationships with students and families to support their success.
With nearly twenty years of experience in education, Shanna has worked with students of all ages in a variety of capacities. She has served as the Community School Director at Harding Elementary since January 2020.
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 Harding 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.
As another school year comes to a close, we want to recognize three retiring principals who have been strong supporters and champions of the United Way Community School Model. Their leadership has helped create school environments where students, families, staff, and Community School Directors can work together to meet the unique needs of each school community.
At United Way Community Schools' 3rd Annual Leadership Retreat, more than 225 student leaders from 17 schools showed us the answer.
