Community Connections is a four-week transition program during the summer for at-risk 8th grade students who are preparing to enter high school in the fall. The program, which is run by Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, Oregon, opened its doors in the summer of 2000. It features mental health, alcohol and drug counseling, communication, anger management, team building, art, music, writing, applied technology, field biology, movement, and school-to-career opportunities. Classroom instruction is coordinated with career education, paid and unpaid structured work experience, and community service. The number of student participants is limited so that the program can be customized to meet students' individual needs. A key to the success of Community Connections is the supportive network of community ties for each student. The program has extensive collaborative partnerships with state, county and city institutions and agencies as well as with community volunteers, neighboring school district staff, businesses, and some participants' families.