Senator Patty Murray

“In the 21st century economy, it is critical that we continue investing in local projects that train our workforce, teach our students, and boost our economy in communities throughout Eastern Washington,” said Senator Murray. “These investments will fund community priorities like a school-based mentor project and a water policy center. I was proud to fight for these local investments, and I’m going to continue working to help Washington state communities meet the needs of their families.”

Having passed the LHHS Subcommittee, the bill will now go to the full Senate Appropriations Committee before going to the full Senate for consideration.

Among the projects that will be funded is Communities In Schools of Spokane County’s School-Based Mentor Project. $150,000 funding will allow Communities in Schools of Spokane County to expand a successful mentorship program to three new middle schools.

“We are very excited to expand the proven successes of the school-based mentor program with the help of Senator Murray’s office. We look forward to partnering 100 adult mentors with at-risk you at the middle school level in our community in the next year. This program will impact not only student’s personal lives but their academic performance as well,” said Ben Stuckart, Executive Director.

See Ben discuss Communities In Schools’ work in Spokane County here:

It’s that time again, and in it’s 5th year, Communities In Schools of Seattle’s Stuff the Bus campaign is at full throttle. Stuff the Bus is a school supply campaign that gives any and all items donated through collection drives to schools serving the lowest income students in Seattle.

Communities In Schools of Seattle kicked off 2010‘s Stuff the Bus campaign at this year’s Pride Parade on June 27th. Backed by the beats of “High School Musical,” 18 volunteers danced the highly decorated–and yet still very stuff-able–school bus down the parade streets. The energy was high, colors were flying, and the voices were loud, all with the intent of drilling up excitement about this year’s Stuff the Bus campaign.

Staff and volunteers pose by the bus before the Pride Parade

Want to help Stuff the Bus? You can become a Community Partner and hold a school supply drive at your business, organization, sports club, church, etc. You can also become a volunteer at any of Stuff the Bus’s functions. Visit the Stuff the Bus site to check the campaign’s schedule, or contact Communities In Schools of Seattle directly at volunteer@cisseattle.org.

Set to open July 7th the CISO Café will feature a staff comprised entirely of Orting high school students. Students aged 16 and up will volunteer to work at the café (and earn community service hours required for graduation) and, with the help of adult mentors, learn first-hand how business operates, and how to interact with fellow staff, supervisors and customers. On a rotating basis, students will work each and every restaurant position, from cook to dishwasher, server to book keeper, marketing promotion to IT support – including supervisor.

The café is the brainchild of Communities In Schools of Orting director, Kim Farnes, who, along with her husband also owns and operates the Around The Corner café, an Orting favorite for years. “It is our belief that by experiencing all facets of the business, the student will have a better understanding of how their education really DOES prepare them for real life.”

If you want to help get the CISO Café off to a running start why not show up for their grand opening!

When: July 7th at 10:00am

Where: 109 Van Scoyoc Ave – Orting, WA 98360

One class of 2010 graduating senior, Tania Tenery, was the winner of an $8000 scholarship from the Walmart Foundation. Tania plans to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in photography at the Art Institute of Seattle. She begins classes this summer. Across the country twelve other Performance Learning Center students won Walmart scholarships as well.

The Performance Learning Center was created three years ago as an alternative to the traditional high school model. The center stresses self-paced learning that includes a business focus with job shadows, internships and dual college enrollment. All this is supported by Communities In Schools wrap-around support and gives a strong second chance to students on the verge of dropping out.

Learn more about the Performance Learning Center by viewing this video.

Mentee takes on his mentor at the ping pong tables

Communities In Schools of Renton found this mix and brought it all together for their recent Mentor & Mentee Fieldtrip, AKA “Extreme Games 2010”. Held once a year, the field trip allows mentors and mentees to get together at the end of the school year, have some fun, and take part in half a day of activities. And for some young mentees, beating their mentor in foosball was the icing on the cake of a year-long relationship.

The fieldtrip was held at the Highlands Neighborhood Center, located in the heart of Renton. But the event didn’t always have the neighborhood location. According to Erin Iverson, Mentor Program Coordinator, the event had previously taken mentors and mentees to locations outside the city, causing many to have to miss the fun. Communities In Schools of Renton kept it within the community for the first time last year, and the community took in the event with open arms. Donations came in from all parts of the community, and this momentum hasn’t stopped.

Jessica Adam plays cards with mentor Erica Wright while showing off her freshly crafted picture frame.

“There’s nothing greater,” offered Tim Williams, Recreation Director for the city of Renton, “than the feel of a room full of kids!”

Kayli Ryan has a big case of the wiggles, right through to her brain.

Present the 12-year-old girl with a concept, a word, even a type face, and she can’t resist turning it upside down, all around and inside out. That makes her a not-so-conventional student, and a delight to her mentor Kathie Theoe. It’s also helped make Kayli and Theoe the Washington State Mentors’ Match of the Year. And they’re one more example of how an hour or two a week can enrich two lives in unexpected ways.

A retired senior vice president at Harborstone Credit Union, Theoe is allergic to idleness. She’s active in Lakewood’s civic life, and she worked for years to forge useful connections between business leaders and Fort Lewis commanders. She bit when a friend suggested she join the 70-plus volunteers in Communities in Schools of Lakewood’s Champions Mentor Program.

Kayli Ryan and Kathie Theoe: The Washington State Mentors’ Match of the Year

When she came to Harrison, Champions Mentor Program offered Kayli the chance to meet with an older, more experienced person for an hour or so once a week. “I thought it would be nice to have someone to talk to,” she said.

Enter Theoe.

The two wear their intelligence differently, and end up complementing each other. “This ability to build on Kayli’s gifts and encourage her dreams is what makes Kathie such an effective role model,” said Doug Baxter, the mentoring program’s director who nominated the duo for Match of the Year.

Then there’s what Kayli’s done for Theoe. “She keeps me younger,” Theoe said. “I describe Kayli as a gift, a wonderful, unexpected gift at this time in my life.”

Check out the full article here.

Thomas Hart (left) works to get his high school diploma--Photo by Clare Jensen

Tacoma Business Academy (TBA)–a partnership of Communities In Schools of Tacoma, Tacoma Public Schools, and Bates Technical College–serves as a last-ditch alternative to students looking for a second chance. It is open to about 45 students, ranging in age from 16 to 21, who all have one thing in common: they’re high school dropouts.

Student Thomas Hart is grateful for the opportunity to get back in school after slipping up at age 16. Now, Hart is 19 and has been out of school for three years. He recently moved to Pierce County and jumped at the chance to get back into an actual high school program, rather than attempt to make a career out of a minimum-wage job.

“A high school diploma shows that you accomplished something, and you didn’t give up on it,” he said. “It’s a bad choice, dropping out. I’ve been down that road. Getting back to school has just changed me completely.”

TBA opened in September 2008 after local education organizations saw the need to help students re-focus after making bad decisions in high school. The school serves as a starting point for young adults, many low income and many with low self esteem, to re-engage in learning and moving ahead in their future as productive adults.

“There is a huge need for a program for students who are no longer attending,” TBA Principal John Page said. “If they weren’t there, where would they be?”

For more information on the Tacoma Business Academy or how to volunteer as a mentor to Academy students, visit Communities in Schools of Tacoma’s website here.

Click here to read the full article.

The goal is to give parents resources and advice on how to best prepare their children for kindergarten, and to encourage parents to make a stronger connection to their children’s schools and teachers.

Lakewood parents in session with services facilitators

Hundreds of children in Lakewood enter kindergarten without preschool experience. In many cases they are 1-2 years behind their peers when they start and many struggle to catch up. Those who don’t often stay behind, eventually dropping out of school.

Keeping the kids busy while the parents are in sessions.

“Growing Up is Fun!” family nights connect parents with specialists who speak both English and Spanish. In addition to receiving bilingual educational resources and agency brochures, parents are advised on how to access community services there to help their children succeed.

Over the past three years Communities In Schools of Lakewood has organized seven family nights out and has helped hundreds of families become more connected to their children’s education.

Comcast and Target are major financial sponsors for the family nights and Caring for Kids provides notebooks, crayons, pencils and dental kits.

Special thanks to Park Lodge Elementary for allowing Communities In Schools to use their facility, Diane Formoso for heading up the event, and the many volunteers who made this an evening to remember!

Students and tutors joined together for a cup of tea

On Monday Communities In Schools of Seattle teamed up with students from Graham Hill Elementary to throw a Volunteer Appreciation Tea Time. The herb-infused event honored tutors from both the Reading Buddy and Math All-Stars programs who take time out of their busy lives to better those of their younger tea-drinking counterparts.

Janeal Stevens, program coordinator for Communities In Schools of Seattle, took the opportunity to present the crowd with a few words acknowledging the amazing dedication and heart of the volunteers.

Janeal Stevens speaks to the students and tutors

States teacher Emily Miller, “Reaching these kids would not be possible without our fabulous volunteers and their unwavering dedication and positive support of our students’ learning.”

Here is an example of how we fulfill our mission with the support of the community.

A Seattle board member received a message from a moving & storage company stating they had furniture, office supplies and PC equipment in usable condition but about to be disposed of. Could anyone benefit from this donation?

Communities In Schools secured 100 computers for three Seattle schools computer labs.

But how to get them to the schools? Janeal then contacted a partner from the annual Stuff the Bus school supplies drive, TransGroup Worldwide Logistics who was eager once again to support our mission and offered free transportation of the computers to the schools.

With determination, a few e-mails, and the help of the community, Communities In Schools was able to provide 100 computers and monitors to computer labs in Queen Anne and McDonald Elementary Schools and Hamilton Middle School. All with no cost to the school district or to us.

Now that’s something that computes!