Purposeful and strategic connections between schools, families, and communities are critical characteristics of effective middle level education. Area-based initiatives (ABIs) have been particularly visible family-school-community policy developments in recent years--especially the federally funded "Promise Neighborhoods," which attempt to replicate the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) philosophy of comprehensively integrating school and community services. This article describes several examples of how ABI initiatives in France and the United Kingdom can offer valuable lessons for the planning and implementation of ABIs in the United States. Lessons are offered in the areas of leadership, teacher integration, neighborhood boundaries, parent engagement, and evaluation. (Contains 1 figure.)