Using Equity-Focused School–Family–Community Partnerships to Enhance Career Development and Postsecondary Transitions for Students of Color

School–family–community partnerships are collaborative initiatives between various school, family, and community stakeholders that are focused on creating access and equity for PK–12 students, especially students from marginalized backgrounds, like students of color or students from low-income homes. Equity-focused partnerships build strength and resilience in students; support their college-career, academic, and social-emotional outcomes; and close opportunity gaps that hinder their college and career access (Bryan & Henry, 2012). Partnerships between school counselors and school administrators, teachers, parents, colleges, businesses, community members, and other school stakeholders are important for supporting the career development and postsecondary transitions of all students, especially students of color and low-income students. Such partnerships allow stakeholders to provide the support, resources, and opportunities necessary to holistically meet students’ career development and college readiness needs. Counselors are leaders in building partnerships with school stakeholders to promote the career development and postsecondary transitions of students of color (American School Counselor Association, 2016; Bryan, 2005). This chapter describes the role of school counselors in PK–12 schools in establishing equity-focused school–family–community partnerships that enhance the career development and postsecondary transitions and opportunities of students of color. We highlight the career development and postsecondary transition needs of students of color, discuss an equity-focused partnership process model for building school–family–community partnerships focused on students’ career development and postsecondary transitions, and offer strategies for collaborating with Black, Latinx, and Indigenous families to support students’ career development, postsecondary transitions, and access.