100 Days, 100 Hours

A new school keeps it 💯 by volunteering in the community.

Danny Brink-Washington volunteers at Journey's End.

At Buffalo Commons, we’re building a school community that’s all together different. We are bringing together a group of students and families that are ready for a new kind of school community - one that is actively diverse, offers compelling academics, and that strengthens our neighborhoods and communities.

In the fall of 2022 Buffalo Commons will welcome 100 kindergarteners and first graders into our building for the very first time, and we couldn’t be more excited (look out for our facility announcement next month 😃 ). With the future looking bright, our number one priority this summer is building strong relationships within the community with organizations and individuals that are working toward the common good. That’s why we’re excited to announce the launch of our “100 Days, 100 Hours” initiative. Over the course of the next three months, our leadership team and board of trustees are devoting over 100 hours of our time and energy to amplifying the work of wonderful organizations that serve the needs of Buffalo children and families.

Our partners have been thoughtfully chosen. We are partnering with organizations who share a common sense of purpose with Buffalo Commons. These organizations serve students and families; serve all neighborhoods and all people of Buffalo; and serve the community in ways that align with our core values of respect, integrity, curiosity, and hard work:

• They appreciate people’s unique perspectives.

• They act with honesty, fairness, and thoughtfulness.

• They are eager to learn about our community and our world.

• They put their best effort into everything they do.

So far our partners include organizations such as Journey’s End; City Mission; Westside Community Services; Michigan Street African-American Heritage Corridor; Alice, Ever After Bookshop and the list is growing every day! We will be planting gardens, reading to kiddos, writing curriculum, distributing food, assisting at summer camps, and many other things that our partners have said they need. Additionally, we will be finding ways to bridge our work with our partners into the community-based curriculum we are developing for our students at Buffalo Commons. By continuing these connections and interactions to community organizations through the year and into our inaugural school year, students will have the opportunity to make connections between their surroundings and their studies, helping them develop a sense of self and the confidence to make an impact in their community.

In the coming weeks, we’re excited to continue our work with our current partners as well as find common cause with new ones. If you’d like to join us, or you have a recommendation for an organization that would benefit from our 100 Days, 100 Hours initiative, we’d love to hear from you at hello@buffalocommonscharter.og.