Community Partners

The following organizations offer programs and resources that help expand the horizons to RBCS students.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA (BBBS SEPA) is a donor-supported organization that enriches, encourages and empowers children to reach their highest potential through safe, one-to-one mentoring relationships. The BBBS mentoring model—which involves recruiting, screening, interviewing, training, matching, supporting and evaluating—is classified as a "Blueprint" program, making it a top prevention model for children. BBBS SEPA serves children in Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties by matching them with a mentor—a "Big Brother" or "Big Sister."

The Russell Byers Charter School has one of the largest School-Based Big Brothers Big Sisters programs in the region with dozens of Russell Byers students mentored by "Bigs" from local corporations since 2004. "Littles" in Big Brothers Big Sisters School-Based Mentoring programs, such as the one at Russell Byers, demonstrate positive academic outcomes in the first year as a result of the mentoring match:


  • overall academic performance
  • performance in science
  • performance in written and oral language
  • quality and number of assignments turned in
  • fewer serious school infractions
  • scholastic efficacy
  • reduced skipping of school

For more information about partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters visit www.bbbssepa.org or call 215.790.9200.

Main Line Chinese Cultural Center

The Russell Byers Charter School is excited about its continued offering of Chinese language and culture to it students as well as other local children. Beginning in January 2009, the Russell Byers Charter School executed a pilot program, through the Main Line Chinese Culture Center (MLCCC), for its students on Saturday mornings.


MLCCC's China Learning Program Final Performance

Based upon a client survey, 96% of surveyed parents thought the MLCCC learning program will provide lifelong benefits to their children. As one parent commented, "In this day and age, we as Americans need to be multi-linguistic-it would definitely help to unite our communities. I wish I had this type of program in my school back in my days…"

For the upcoming October launch, a small number of scholarships will be granted for the 12-week program to RBCS candidates. Those RBCS students who apply but are not granted a scholarship will still be able to participate in the program for a special fee. Non-RBCS students will be allowed to participate as well at $144 for the entire program.

For additional information on the Main Line Chinese Culture Center, please contact their Principal (Ms. Xia Li) at (610) 308-2624 or visit their website.

Enchanted Theatre Company Logo


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The Enchantment Theatre Company's (ETC) Magic of Masks Residency Program brings ETC Teaching Artists directly into the Russell Byers Charter School classrooms to work with students. While designed to teach performance skills, the Residency focuses on important life-skills, such as self-confidence, teamwork and communication. Through the course of the program, RBCS students will learn to express themselves and collaborate with others, becoming a true ensemble, and ultimately creating and performing an original production for an audience of their peers and families.


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Enchantment Teaching Artists begin the program with theater games to inspire the students to build confidence and work as an ensemble. Students explore exercises which teach life skills and acting skills including: energy, eye contact, spatial awareness, teamwork, body language and stage movement, communicating ideas, memorization, improvisational skills, and storytelling. ETC Teaching Artists teach students magic tricks focusing on fine-motor skills, hand/eye coordination and following step-by-step directions. ETC Teaching Artists work on character development using masks and puppets. ETC Teaching Artists and students explore storytelling identifying theme, setting, characters, world of the story, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution and moral/lesson. ETC Teaching Artists incorporate movement and original sound. Once the performance piece is shaped, RBCS students create costumes and props using found objects and craft supplies. Using the original materials the students rehearse their performance piece and share it with an invited audience.

Philadelphia Outward Bound


RBCS offers Outward Bound activities during the course of the academic year for 3rd through 6th grade students. A sequence of focused, cohesive and transformative Outward Bound experiences are offered at school, the Philadelphia Outward Bound Center (POBC), and in the wilderness. The activities are designed to challenge students as a group through collaborative problem solving, constructive communication, and team building initiatives. As individuals challenge themselves and tackle their fears, they build self-confidence, understand the value of effective leadership and develop a sense of trust and teamwork. The overall goal is to drive not only individual growth, but to explicitly create and maintain a healthy, supportive and connected school culture. For more information, please check out our Outward Bound updates as part of our ABC Leadership Program.

Philadelphia Museum of Art


The Philadelphia Museum of Art partners with RBCS to host the 20 week visual arts education RBCS Art Club Program for 5th and 6th grade students. The Delphi Project Foundation covers all costs of the Art Club, which includes art supplies, transportation to the museum, exhibitions and celebrations and healthy after-school snacks.

The goals of the program are to develop self-expression through art, to enhance critical thinking skills through artistic problem solving, introduce students to career opportunities in the visual arts through interaction with Museum staff, and to provide a safe, welcoming and supervised environment where students can spend after school hours in stimulating, creative activities with friends.

Students work with a variety of artistic media including painting, ceramics, sculpture and printmaking. The students are exposed to a multi-cultural curriculum, studying art from places such as China, India, Europe and Japan. A special emphasis is placed on African America and Latino contemporary artists.

After the 14th week of the program, The Philadelphia Museum of Art holds an exhibition of student work in its Education Gallery. To celebrate the exhibition and the students' accomplishments, the students and their families are treated to a special reception at the Museum and a performance in their honor.

The Rock School

The Rock School provides a diverse range of students the opportunity to enjoy and pursue dance, with a special emphasis on core ballet training.

The Rock School performs and teaches in local, regional and national communities, to engage young people and families in the energy of student dancers in live dance performances and classes.

Nurturing artistic creativity and supporting rigorous study are the keystones of The Rock School producing the well balanced dancers and exceptional arts leaders.

Dancing Classrooms Philly

5th grade students learn ballroom dancing through a partnership with Dancing Classrooms Philly. Starting in September, students enjoy two 50-minute lessons each a week until the first week in December. They learn five standard ballroom dances (meringue, rumba, swing, foxtrot and tango) as well as three "sugar" dances (the stomp, the electric slide, and the heal-toe polka). At the end of their lessons, the 5th graders invite their family members and friends to join them for a culminating event that showcases their new techniques from the course of 20 lessons. Along with other students, 4th grade students attend to see what is in store for them in the coming year.

The last week of November, all 5th grade students audition for the RBCS Ballroom Dance Team. With stiff competition, 12 students (6 ladies and 6 gentlemen) are selected to represent the school in the citywide competition. In mid December, the RBCS team competes in the semi-finals. After rehearsing all spring, the team may continue onto the Dancing Classrooms Philly Colors of the Rainbow Final Competition in June. The 2008-2009 Team earned gold level distinction at the semifinals and placed second overall in the final competition

Additionally, RBCS has partnerships with the following organizations: