Through funding from The Heinz Endowments, Communities of Excellence works in collaboration with multiple community partners to align and focus energy, activities, and programs on supporting the transition into kindergarten. Built upon the lessons learned from the Family Centers of Excellence project, an earlier grant to enhance kindergarten readiness, this project expands efforts to all children in the Hill and Northview communities, and works in collaboration with Pittsburgh Public Schools, neighborhood and school leaders, community parents and other residents. The purpose is to facilitate and integrate community wide school readiness, transition to school, and parent involvement strategies to establish a strong foundation for school success.