Families and communities have enormous resources of knowledge around them that they use in their daily lives. Teachers may overlook or devalue these "funds of knowledge." Students, however, can benefit when teachers draw on community knowledge. Educationists advocate for the integration of subjects so that school curriculum is more relevant and challenging. But even when a curriculum is integrated, learning experiences may continue to be divorced from the daily home experiences of many families. This PEN Digest describes approaches which attempt to establish alliances between home and school in ways that are relevant to students and the communities in which they live, and which engage students in intellectually challenging activities. The Digest offers suggestions for teachers investigating alliances between home and school. It also provides some useful unit-starter ideas and teaching "pro formas" for various curriculum levels, such as "Increasing Biodiversity in the School Grounds,""Critical Analysis of Popular Television and Magazine Advertisements,""Emergency Services,""Class Survival Guide," and "Diversity in the Community." Includes a figure and illustrations. (Contains 14 references.) (NKA)