Every year, barriers prevent groups of students from having the school supplies they need to start the school year. We partner with Red Canoe Credit Union to facilitate the "Fill the Canoe" School Supply Drive every August.
In seven elementary schools we pair struggling readers in the first grade with adult tutors for one-one-one reading mentoring. The volunteers meet with their student one hour a week, every week from the first through the third grade. The mentor role emphasizes that an adult relationship is crucial for academic success.
Communities In Schools of Puyallup partners with the staff at our site schools and numerous community partners to provide food and gifts to families every holiday season. In November, we collect donations of Thanksgiving meals to send home with families that need it. In December, we collect donations of holiday meals and gifts to send home with our families.
Each year, Communities In Schools coordinates a series of community service projects known as March Gladness. From January through March, students from all 33 schools in the Puyallup School District play a leading role in creating and carrying out a service project to benefit a local, national, or global cause.
Two days a week for one hour, exemplary junior high and high school students work one-on-one with 4th-6th grade students struggling in math. In addition to helping with homework and reinforcing key skills, the tutors develop fun and interactive games to encourage their students to embrace math and succeed academically.
Mentoring provides students the opportunity to develop a one-on-one relationship with a caring adult. Mentorship strengthens the student's sense of self-esteem, instills an enthusiasm for learning, and helps reduce risky behavior.
Our Site Coordinators provide small group interventions to at-risk students.
Food insecurity affects one in four students in Pierce County. We partner with the community to provide students with food over the weekend and over holidays to ensure that they have access to food while at home.
