Circumstances and barriers for students vary widely across communities. Our local approach allows us to identify the unique needs in our community and leverage resources to make a difference in the lives of our young people.
Across our community, the identified priority local needs and risk factors vary for each school, family, and individual student. To address these needs, our school-based site coordinators have implemented the following supports:
Our Services in Schools
Case Management
School-based site coordinators empower students to stay in school through individualized access to needed resources, and ongoing encouragement and guidance to build confidence to reach their potential and achieve their dreams.
Costco Readers
Communities In Schools has partnered with Costco Wholesale to provide reading assistance to struggling elementary students through the Costco Readers curriculum. Every week, students meet one-on-one with a trained adult tutor to learn key reading skills. This program has been successful in pushing students to meet their academic goals and provides a safe and nurturing environment for students to learn and grow.
Good Samaritan Readers
In six 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.
Math Tutoring
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.
Reading Groups
Our Site Coordinators provide small group interventions to struggling readers.
Mentoring
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.
March Gladness
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.
Annual School Supply Drive
Every year, numerous children enter school without the basic supplies they need to succeed. To meet this challenge, Communities In Schools of Puyallup partners with Red Canoe Credit Union and numerous other local businesses and organizations to coordinate a city-wide school supply drive. Throughout August, we collect, divide, and distribute school supplies and backpacks to all 32 schools in the Puyallup School District on the basis of need. In addition, Red Canoe Credit Union matches all supplies pound-for-pound through its "Fill the Canoe" initiative.
Weekend Backpack Program
Communities In Schools of Puyallup partners with Fred Meyer and Mountain View Community Center to provide backpacks full of food to hungry children at Karshner and Stewart Elementary.
Parental Engagement
In partnership with MultiCare Good Samaritan Family Support Center, we offer free parenting classes to increase healthy behaviors and family engagement.
Holiday Help
For many of our families, the holiday season can be a stressful time. The extra financial pressure of this time can put unneeded stress on these families. To meet this need, Communities In Schools of Puyallup partners with the staff at our site schools and numerous community partners to provide food and gifts to our 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.