The Link at North Springs High School hosted the Metro RESA 2026–2027 Community Schools Kickoff on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

Community school directors, coordinators and social workers from across metro Atlanta gathered at the Sandy Springs campus for the workshop, titled "Building Intentional Partnerships Workshop & Tour." The event focused on strengthening ties between schools, families and community organizations.

Granville Freeman of Metro RESA organized the gathering, according to North Springs High School's post on X. The school said the workshop explored how community school staff can move beyond transactional relationships with partners toward collaborations that respond directly to student and family needs.


The Link is one of three community school hubs in Fulton County Schools, alongside the SAFE Center at Banneker High School and the UNIDOS Center at Tri-Cities High School. Formally designated a Student and Family Engagement (S.A.F.E.) Center, The Link opened at North Springs in 2023 as the district's newest such hub.

The services are free.

According to a 2023 profile by Sandy Springs Together, two full-time staff members run the center, which offers wraparound services to students, parents, staff and the broader Sandy Springs community. Those services include groceries and personal hygiene supplies, clothing and shoes, laundry services, mental health referrals and mentoring and tutoring programs.

The center's coordinators and social workers also collaborate with school-based counselors, psychologists and external partners on mental health screenings, awareness programs and weekly wellness drop-in workshops for students, according to Fulton County Schools.

A regional role

The community school model aims to address non-academic barriers to learning. The Link's services are funded through partnerships among Fulton County Schools, nonprofit organizations and local government.

The Aug. 26 event was the first time The Link served as a regional host site for the Metropolitan Regional Educational Service Agency (Metro RESA) network, which is based in Smyrna and serves the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro area. The 2026–2027 school year is now underway across the district.