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.
Liz is an Erie native with a passion for community building, family engagement, and advocating for social and economic justice. She attended John Carroll University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, with minors in Political Science and Peace, Justice, and Human Rights. Liz returned to Erie to earn her Master’s degree in Social Work and is a licensed social worker in the state of Pennsylvania.
Liz previously worked part-time with the Community School Model at Edison Elementary and has also served as a trauma case manager, working with families and children involved with the Office of Children and Youth in the Erie area. She is a strong believer in the positive transformation that can occur when a holistic approach is used to support children’s education.
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 Lincoln 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.
This year, a classroom reading program called Books with Bankers was launched with Lincoln’s Corporate Partner Coalition. Corporate Partner volunteers joined classrooms once a month to read to the class.
In response to family survey feedback, Lincoln launched Grade Level Family Meet and Greet Nights to help families connect with others in the same grade.
