Excellence in action: Lindsay’s Story
At Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS), our partnerships and relationships with other mission-based organizations in the community help connect children and families with resources, opportunities, and support that can make a lasting difference.
In her fourth year as Strategic Partnerships Manager at CHS, Lindsay Knepp works to build and strengthen those connections across the communities CHS serves.
This October, Lindsay was selected to share that perspective with two professional audiences, presenting at the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) Early Childhood Summ (opens in a new tab)it (opens in a new tab) and the National Association of Social Workers Pennsylvania (NASW-PA) Conference (opens in a new tab). The opportunities brought together two fields that have shaped her career: education and social work.
Building connections
Before joining CHS, Lindsay spent 12 years as a school social worker in the Palmyra Area School District, which is a priority school district for CHS Hershey (opens in a new tab). That experience helped her understand how schools, community organizations, and local leaders can work together to support children and families.
As CHS expands into new communities, Lindsay works to connect Centers with organizations and resources that support children, families, staff, and community leaders.
She has also learned that effective partnerships must evolve alongside the needs of the people they serve.
“CHS is constantly evolving—we’re opening new Centers, learning from our existing Centers, and continually evaluating the needs of our families and staff,” she said. “As those needs change, our partnership needs may also need to pivot or grow.”
A broader perspective
Lindsay’s experience in education and social work informs how she approaches communities before building new partnerships. Rather than assuming she knows what a community needs, she starts by learning about the people and organizations already working there.
“You can’t walk into a new community and assume you know what families, organizations, or partners need,” Lindsay said. “I need to first understand the community—who lives there, who is already serving families, what the demographics and data tell us, and where the gaps and opportunities may be.”
She brought this perspective to the NASW-PA Conference through her presentation, “Macro Social Work in 2026: Building Strategic Partnerships to Help Organizations Work Smarter.” The session explored how social workers and organizations can build partnerships across sectors, use data to guide decisions, and evaluate whether collaborations are meeting community needs.
At the PACCA Summit, Lindsay presented “A Family Approach to Building Safe, Strong, and Financially Stable Homes,” bringing her experience in community partnerships to an early childhood education audience.
Presenting to both groups gave Lindsay an opportunity to share the CHS approach while highlighting how professionals in different fields can work together to strengthen support for children and families.
“It’s an honor to be able to share the mission and vision of CHS and, hopefully, help others see what is possible when we build strong community partnerships and support the whole family,” she said.
Putting partnerships into action
For Lindsay, excellence means seeing those relationships translate into meaningful opportunities for the CHS community. She wants to see Centers connected to the communities around them, staff accessing opportunities through college partners, and community organizations actively supporting families as they grow with CHS and work toward lifelong success.
In recent months, Lindsay has helped focus those efforts on ensuring Family Success teams have the knowledge and information they need to connect families with career opportunities at The Hershey Company.
By helping teams understand how those opportunities can support career pathways and long-term success, the partnership can help families explore possibilities for their futures.
“That’s what I try to put into practice every day—building relationships that have a purpose, making sure our teams have the information they need, and looking for ways our community partnerships can create real opportunities for the children and families we serve,” Lindsay said.
One example of a partnership success story is a CHS parent was able to continue working full time at The Hershey Company due to her child receiving early childhood education and care at CHS!
Rooted in Excellence
As CHS follows its 2026–27 school-year theme, Rooted in Excellence, Lindsay sees an opportunity to reflect on how everyday actions contribute to a stronger community.
“When I joined CHS more than four years ago, I made a commitment to be my best self in service of a mission and vision that is much bigger than me,” Lindsay said.
That commitment continues to guide her work, whether she is in the office, visiting a Center, or meeting with community partners.
“Being ‘Rooted in Excellence’ reminds me of that commitment and challenges me to keep showing up with purpose, bringing my best to the work, and helping create strong roots that will continue to grow within our Centers, families, and communities,” she said.
Through thoughtful collaboration and intentional communication, Lindsay continues to help CHS build relationships that strengthen the support surrounding children and families.
Excellence in Action series: As the 2026-27 CHS school-year theme “Rooted in Excellence” was launched in August, stories will be shared throughout the year showcasing members of the CHS community on their pursuits of excellence. Vol. 1: Alysha’s Story (opens in a new tab), Vol. 2: Ekaterina’s Story (opens in a new tab), Vol. 3: Lindsay’s Story.
