Canisius College, Buffalo, New York

Tapestry Charter High School and Canisius College School of Education and Human Services (www.canisius.edu) have developed a formal partnership with this mission: “to develop a relationship between Tapestry Charter School and Canisius College that will enhance the child/student educational experience, provide opportunities for growth, and increase the likelihood of success through a sharing of respective resources.”

Tapestry Charter High School and Canisius College recognize that the strength of the Buffalo community lies in the relationships that develop among those institutions that are invested in our city. Children benefit when adults understand and practice a positive interdependence.

Canisius College will support Tapestry Charter High School in the following areas: instruction and mentoring of Tapestry students, assistance with sports and wellness programming, summer and after-school student programs, staff development programs, and use of the physical facilities of Canisius College.

Tapestry Charter High School will provide Canisius College with field experiences for teaching, counseling, and administrative candidates and a site for educational research.

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Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound / Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Tapestry Charter High School was selected by Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound (www.elob.org) as one of only 20 small high schools nation-wide to receive significant funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (www.gatesfoundation.org). After careful scrutiny, Tapestry Charter High School was offered close to $300,000 for school and professional development and an additional $150,000 in services for research and technical support.

Tapestry Charter High School and Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound have established a formal contractual relationship to extend over at least 5 years. Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound staff has been partnered with Tapestry in designing the high school program and in providing on-going consultation and instruction throughout the planning years. This support has included regularly scheduled on-site visits and training by Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound field director and school designers. In addition, Tapestry Charter High School planning team members have attended professional development institutes (Reading, Writing, Assessment, High School Development) and the Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound national conference.

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Walton Family Foundation

The Walton Family Foundation (www.wffhome.com) granted Tapestry Charter High School $20,000 to fund school development. This money has been used to support staff development and other resources for the establishment of a quality charter high school program.