Powered by Partnership
Partner organizations, sites and supporters make Dallas City of Learning come alive for tens of thousands of learners in Dallas each year. Through offering in person programming, opening facilities to activities, crafting remote learning opportunities and providing support, being a partner of the Dallas City of Learning ecosystem can help your organization while engaging the community.
The DCOL platform users include families from every zip code and cultural group in Dallas and attracts more than 75,000 youth each year.
DCoL marketing toolkits complete with sample graphics, copy, rack cards and posters help you market your programs.
Bonus! Partners who roster and participate in observation opportunities, receive additional social media support through boosted posts on DCoL social channels
Outcome and output information about your specific program(s) can help you raise more funds so you can continue to grow your impact.
Participate in cutting-edge pilot program opportunities.
Check out technology, program and curriculum kits to make program design and delivery even easier.
Apply to the Neighborhood Resource Initiative for direct funding for your summer programs or for transportation for your learners to DCoL Turn Up events.
Engage in professional development to build the skills of you and your team.
Access evaluation tools and data from SMU’s Center on Research and Evaluation.
Network and build new partnerships to better serve your community.
Dallas Needs You
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dallas City of Learning?
Dallas City of Learning is a citywide initiative to ensure all students have access to high quality out of school time programs that keep learning going year round.
Why should my organization participate?
Dallas City of Learning (DCoL) is a great way for your organization to join the collective effort to close the opportunity gap by promoting your existing programs and activities to a larger audience. Participating in DCoL connects you and your organization with other education leaders in the city, building your network for future collaborations and access to pilot opportunities. DCoL also offers a cadre of benefits for all partners, from evaluation assistance from Southern Methodist University's Center for Research and Evaluation to ready-to-use curriculum tools to technology kits.
How many programs do I need to list?
You can list as many or as few of your organization's programs as you'd like. Remember, the more programs you list, the more opportunities you'll have to reach youth and families throughout the city.
I need to list a LOT of programs. Is there a way to do a bulk import?
Yes! We'd love to help you set up a custom import so we can list your programs quickly and effectively. Please contact Sergio Garcia at [email protected] to discuss getting your import set up.
My program requires advance registration. Can that work with DCoL?
Absolutely! When you create a new program, you can enter a link to a registration form on your own website, and you can even control the date that registration opens and ends.
How can I explain DCoL to my Board?
Yes! Dallas City of Learning originated in 2014, so we have lots of practice explaining what it is and how it works. The 11x17 Folder-over and Message Map are a great resources you can use. You can check out other items that are free and available for your use in the Partner Toolkit.
Why should I provide Enrollment-Attendance data with student ID numbers for my programs?
Southern Methodist University Center on Research and Evaluation (CORE) is the third-party evaluation partner for DCoL. DCoL also has a data-sharing agreement with Dallas ISD that enables CORE to assess the impact of DCoL programs and dosage on students' academic achievement and attendance. In order to get the best understanding of the impact of all DCoL programs on a student, we need to be able to track students based on student ID numbers.
What type of professional development is available?
We know that the collective experience and expertise of the DCoL network is huge, and we work to provide multiple professional learning opportunities throughout the year where experts from the community and our partner network share best practices. These include:
- Lunch & Learns - webinars and in person sessions throughout the year
- Partner Convening - in person gathering in late January/early February where partners discuss plans and goals for the upcoming sumemr
- Summer KICKS Conference - in person full day conference in May with multiple educational tracks.
- State of Summer - late fall gathering to review data and learning from the past summer.
Dates and registration links for these events will be shared in the DCoL enewsletter and on the Partner Toolkit.
Partners Make it Possible | Los socios lo hacen posible
Partner organizations offer in person programs and at home learning opportunities through Dallas City of Learning. Check out some of our outstanding partner organizations!
Las organizaciones asociadas ofrecen programas en persona y oportunidades de aprendizaje en el hogar a través de Dallas City of Learning. ¡Vea algunas de nuestras organizaciones socias destacadas!
Follow Dallas City of Learning on Instagram
/dallascityoflearning | #weareDCOL