GRAD Partnership Strengthens Student Belonging Across Northern California Schools

This story was written by Susan Schroth and Onica Mello, who lead North State Together’s GRAD Partnership initiative. Together, they share their reflections on implementing student success systems with ten rural schools in Northern California.

This fall, North State Together Program Directors, Susan Schroth and Onica Mello, hit the road to visit all ten schools participating in the GRAD Partnership within California’s North State region. North State Together, of RSC’s Northern California Regional Hub, is part of RSC’s GRAD Partnership Rural Cohort. Between late September and early October 2025, the pair met with administrators, teachers, and support staff from Anderson High School, Burney Jr. Sr. High School, Dunsmuir High School, Fall River High School, Gateway to College, Red Bluff High School, Redding School of the Arts, Southern Trinity High School, Tulelake High School, and West Valley Early College High School. These visits marked an important moment of connection, reflection, and transition as the North State region dives into Year 4 of the national GRAD Partnership initiative.

The feedback from school teams was overwhelmingly positive. Many schools shared creative and inspiring examples of how GRAD Partnership supports have been leveraged to increase student engagement and family participation. Multiple schools used funding to feed students during college and university field trips, ensuring every student could fully participate in experiences that expand their horizons beyond their home communities. Others hosted welcome celebrations and back-to-school nights designed to bring families onto campuses, creating opportunities for parents and guardians to connect directly with teachers, tour classrooms, and feel part of their students’ educational journey.

One particularly innovative approach came from Burney Jr. Sr. High School, which launched a “second chance bus”—a supportive intervention designed to reduce absenteeism. When students missed their morning ride, staff made quick calls and the bus circled back to pick them up, ensuring students still made it to class. This small but impactful idea reflects the heart of the GRAD Partnership’s philosophy: meeting students where they are and removing barriers that can impede their success.

During their visits, Susan and Onica also facilitated new partnerships and opportunities for the year ahead. They helped connect several high schools more closely with college personnel to strengthen participation in upcoming college fairs and other postsecondary exploration events. In one creative collaboration, North State Together connected Redding School of the Arts with Shasta College’s Starbucks team to deliver drinks in alignment with one of RSA’s attendance initiatives which rewards students for perfect attendance each month.

These visits also marked a leadership transition in North State Together’s GRAD Partnership management. As Susan Schroth transitions the program’s day-to-day oversight to Onica Mello, the visits provided an opportunity for both to engage deeply with school teams about what’s working well and what might evolve in the coming year. The conversations highlighted the growing confidence and capacity among local educators to sustain and expand GRAD Partnership practices within their own contexts. Onica shares that "as a new lead for GRAD Partnership, it is so exciting and encouraging to see the warm reception educators in our region have to kick off Year 4 of this initiative. This is in no small part to Susan Schroth's dedication to piloting the program in California's North State Region and nurturing rural educators' confidence in their own professional insights to implement GRAD Partnership funds successfully within their schools.”

Looking ahead, the focus for Year 4 centers on “Student Belonging”—a theme that resonates deeply across the North State’s diverse and often geographically isolated school communities. Educators and administrators emphasized how belonging can be a powerful driver of academic and personal success, especially for students navigating the unique challenges of rural education. Through continued collaboration, shared learning, and creative local implementation, the GRAD Partnership and student success systems are helping schools foster environments where every student feels seen, supported, and valued.

To further this mission, North State Together—in collaboration with the American Institutes for Research—will host a regional professional development session in early December 2025. This session will provide educators with enhanced tools, strategies, and peer-learning opportunities to support GRAD Partnership implementation. It will also serve as a celebration of the dedication and innovation demonstrated by participating schools throughout the region.

From Anderson to Tulelake, the fall visits reaffirmed the collective commitment of educators across Northern California to nurturing student belonging and engagement. As the GRAD Partnership enters its fourth year in the North State, the program continues to evolve—not just as an initiative, but as a movement toward equitable, student-centered success in rural communities.