While we have all experienced the effects of our country’s economic downturn in one way or another, a new Census Bureau report released Tuesday delivered a shock to the system with the statistic that 46.2 million Americans were living in poverty last year—nearly one in six people.

Sadly, many of these people are children. As parents lose their jobs or take severe pay cuts, their sons and daughters go without food, clean clothes and sometime even a home.

The Washington Post put it bluntly: “The economic turmoil has pummeled children, for whom the poverty rate last year — 22 percent — was at the highest level since 1993.”

Communities In Schools site coordinators work tirelessly across the nation to help young victims of the recession. Whether it’s organizing food backpack programs to make sure children have enough to eat, or partnering with doctors and health clinics to provide free screenings and treatment, our unsung heroes do everything they can to help children survive and thrive.

But our resources aren’t only for helping students in the now. We are also dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and giving children a shot at a better, brighter future.

Communities In Schools evolved its successful model of integrated student services from the Five Basics, which have guided our work from the beginning. The Five Basics are a set of essentials that every child needs and deserves. One of these is “A marketable skill to use upon graduation.” Communities In Schools site coordinators don’t leave a student’s life once the student is on track to getting a high school diploma. Our site coordinators take students on college tours, and help them with college applications and obtaining financial assistance. They also help students prepare resumes, and apply to jobs and trade schools.

Take Rasheedah Phillips, for instance. At 14, she was pregnant and felt directionless. Communities In Schools of Philadelphia made sure she had adequate services that she needed right away, such as food and prenatal health care. But they also connected the teen to a program that helped prepare her for life as a young adult and parent. And ultimately, this enabled her pursue her chosen career. Now 27, Rasheedah is a graduate of Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and a successful lawyer.

Rasheedah Phillips

“The Communities In Schools counselors were very instrumental in helping me,” she said. “They recognized my abilities and encouraged me – they didn’t let me quit.”

Communities In Schools’ mission is to help kids succeed in school and achieve in life. As more children are forced to deal with poverty, Communities In Schools will be there to answer the call and provide immediate aid. But we are also looking toward the future by equipping students with our most valuable resources: the tools and the hope for a better tomorrow.

Tacoma Business Academy

Opening last September, the Tacoma Business Academy is a new school pushing the boundaries of innovation to help kids graduate from high school and avoid becoming another dropout statistic. The Academy is a unique program for students who have stopped attending high school and are working, but want to complete high school and improve their employability. Made possible through a partnership between Tacoma Public Schools, Bates Technical College and Communities In Schools of Tacoma, the Academy is an opportunity for those who would have not graduated to get a second chance at earning a high school diploma.

“Anytime you can bring just one student back and try to engage him and really go at that student in a different fashion” is a measure of success according to Tyler Stanek, a Communities In Schools of Tacoma board member. Tacoma’s graduation rate is 68%, meaning 1 out of 3 students will dropout. Because of this disturbing trend, the School Board has set goals of decreasing the dropout rate by 10% a year and reducing the number of students who don’t graduate by the same amount. One way that they hope to achieve this is through the Tacoma Business Academy.

At the Academy, each student is an active member of a small learning community while working toward meeting personal educational goals. Students work while going to school to finish their high school credits taking an assortment of business, marketing and information technology classes. Students are enrolled through Tacoma Public Schools, and have access to other resources such as online learning and Bates’ programs. The school’s philosophy is teaching youths the importance of work and helping them to eventually learn and earn their way out of low paying jobs.

Communities in Schools of Tacoma provides a full-time coordinator who helps students find job shadows and recruits volunteers, tutors and graduation coaches.

“Our goal is to create a supportive environment for students’ personal growth by providing positive role models to help guide them through their course work as they earn credit towards their high school diploma.” Teresa Maxwell, Executive Director of Communities In Schools of Tacoma.

The Academy is a second chance for students, who would have otherwise been lost in the system. It promotes hard work both at school and on the job, instilling in kids the confidence they need to believe that through hard work, determination, and sometimes help from organizations like Communities In Schools, that they can be successful in school and in life.

Learn More: To learn more about this exciting new venture go to Communities In Schools of Tacoma.

Volunteer: To find out how to get involved and make a difference, contact Communities in Schools of Tacoma Executive Director, Teresa Maxwell at 253.571.1114 or visit Communities In Schools of Tacoma.

Enroll: To enroll in the Tacoma Business Academy or for more information, call the TPS Career and Technical Education department at 253.571.1126.