What if someone told you that a group of committed individuals, companies and nonprofits – backed by a couple of grants – could help an under-resourced school system cut chronic absenteeism by 94 percent and boost college and career readiness by 21 percent?
It might sound too good to be true, but in Fairfield, Alabama, it’s actually happening – thanks to the United Way of Central Alabama’s inCommunity initiative. Regions Bank and community organizations across the Birmingham area are also doing their part – showing up, stepping up and helping ensure students and families thrive at school, at home and beyond.
It all started in spring of 2023, when United Way, Fairfield City Schools and a group of community partners met to consider launching a Community School program in Fairfield. These models began more than a century ago to promote schools as community hubs – providing integrated academic, health and social services that position schools as a one-stop shop for the needs of students, families and the broader community. The United Way of Central Alabama inCommunity project emerged from that gathering.
From the beginning, five areas were identified as program focus areas:
- Behavioral health and social support
- College and career readiness
- Financial literacy
- Mentoring and tutoring
- On-site vision, dental, medical and maternal health services
The program got off to a strong start, with United Way investing $1.5 million, and shortly after launching, it received a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Regions Wealth Management Executive Frank Caley has a 15-year history with United Way, currently serving on the chapter’s Community Impact Committee and the Community Investment subcommittee, which oversees the inCommunity program. Caley immediately saw an opportunity for Regions to help execute the financial wellness component of the plan, through its comprehensive Regions Next Step® curriculum.
“Education and workforce development and financial wellness are key pillars of our community engagement strategy at Regions, so the Fairfield Schools project was a natural fit,” Caley said.
Education and workforce development and financial wellness are key pillars of our community engagement strategy at Regions, so the Fairfield Schools project was a natural fit.
Frank Caley, Regions Wealth Management Executive
Keren Treme, Community Engagement financial education trainer at Regions, has delivered four Reality Check budget simulation sessions at C.J. Donald Middle School. So far, more than 200 students have participated in the financial education program.
“We were pleased to be able to contribute to this vital initiative by sharing Regions’ tailored financial wellness curriculum with Fairfield students,” Caley said.
One of the early priorities of the program was to embed Community School Coordinators at each of the four Fairfield City Schools. These coordinators serve as liaisons between the schools and their surrounding neighborhoods and facilitate access to essential services that were previously unavailable.
The coordinators began organizing after-school programs and activities for students and the community, hosting enrollment events, which in 2024 resulted in 185 new student enrollments and a pre-school year enrollment rate exceeding 90 percent. They also worked with community volunteers to launch a comprehensive back-to-school campaign, including supply drives and beautification projects at schools.
Regions associates have taken part in those efforts the last two years, providing hundreds of backpacks to students at the start of the school year, supplying snack packs and weekend meals, cleaning and sprucing up the campuses, providing snacks during standardized testing and contributing gifts for the Angel Tree program for students.
Other community partners and United Way agencies are involved, as well, to ensure holistic student and family needs are met. The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama supplies a food pantry at the school for those experiencing food insecurity. Resource closets also provide clothing and toiletries when needed. The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing and Samford University are also providing support to the program.
Better Basics offers reading and math tutoring in small-group settings to K-5 students, and Urban Hope Development provides individual tutoring support to middle and high-school students during their after-school programs.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham pairs students with mentors and their Beyond School Walls program connects students to career opportunities through hands-on experiences and workplace partnerships.
The Modern Manufacturing Program was introduced thanks to a community partnership, which includes curriculum and pathways to credentials and certifications to help prepare students entering the job market.
Remarkably, the needle began moving almost immediately after the inCommunity program launched. Besides the enrollment and attendance increases, behavioral incidents have decreased significantly across the district and school administrators are pleased with the overall positive impact within the school walls and in the community.
“One of the primary goals of our Community Schools partnership in Fairfield is removing barriers to student success,” said Ryan Parker, vice president of Community Impact at the United Way of Central Alabama. “That includes ensuring that students start school with all the supplies they need, that they have access to groceries if they’re hungry and that they have after-school and summer enrichment programs to keep them on track academically. When a student has their basic needs met, they’re able to focus more on learning, which sets them up for long-term success.”
Parker is excited about the success of the program so far but is also looking to serve students and families in new ways. For example, UWCA recently opened a Community Closet within Robinson Primary School, where students, families and community members can find clothes, shoes, diapers and other essential items.
UWCA is also looking to build on the success of the Fairfield program by partnering with additional school districts across the region, including a recently launched program with Jasper City Schools, and collaboration with Birmingham City Schools that will begin next year.
“The impact of this program is a reminder of what unity can achieve,” Caley said. “UWCA, in partnership with the Fairfield School System, created a space where people could come together around a shared goal. It’s been inspiring to see the entire community rally — individuals, companies and organizations each contributing in their own way. That collective effort, that shared commitment, is what makes the impact not only measurable — but meaningful.”