This paper reports on a Canadian qualitative case study project funded by the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario. The paper describes success stories of students and communities affected by poverty from a diverse sample of eleven elementary schools throughout the province of Ontario. Over the period of one school year (2007-2008) and through school visits, interviews, focus groups, and document analysis, researchers developed narratives that describe the ways that adult members (teachers, parents, administrators, and community groups/partners) in the sample schools thought about and shaped their work with students living in challenging socioeconomic circumstances. The paper illustrates examples from the project that draw on themes related to: commitment to high-quality collaboration, teacher mentorship, and community building; parent and community partnerships; and administrative leadership and the culture of leading.