This interactive session will explore how to develop and sustain mutually beneficial democratic partnerships between universities and local K-12 schools through a University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS) approach. Faculty and staff from Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships will discuss lessons learned from academic partnerships that connect the university’s and school’s curricula through a common focus on helping to solve community-identified local problems, from environmental injustice to health and educational inequities. This approach is designed to simultaneously improve community well-being and advance research, teaching, and learning (K-16+). Presenters will share an overview of UACS and examples of community-engaged scholarship and teaching. Participants will engage in small group discussions to workshop opportunities and next steps for their own university-community-school partnerships.