Community Overcomes All

By Mary Taylor

No child wakes up one day and wishes to struggle. No human, in right mind, intentionally craves or welcomes adversity and hard times. No parent wants to fail their children, and yet, no life can completely avoid these types of trials whether they are temporary inconveniences or sustained and enduring hardships. It’s extremely difficult to overcome something that you can’t always see but bracing for impact and persevering through the trenches are behaviors we learn as we grow up. But what happens if you don’t have an example to show you that there can be light on the other side of dark times? What happens when you lack the vital experience or generational guidance that can help you defy the odds? What happens if you simply just don’t know any different?

Prior to summer break the leadership team over at McCurley Integrity Subaru tasked me to feature a local non-profit that provides a light so bright that it gives our little corner of Eastern Washington a dose of extra sunshine and hope for the generations yet to come. McCurley understands the priceless equity that Communities in Schools provides and has been a longstanding supporter for this youth-serving organization that launched in 2014 with nine student support coordinators and which served ten schools in the Richland School District. Since then, the CISBF (Communities In Schools Benton-Franklin) program has grown to a leadership team of twelve, and partnerships with forty-one local schools expanding across five school districts, including Richland, Pasco, Kennewick, Finely, and Prosser.

At the core of CISBF is the organizational premise that every student is capable of success and is hungry for opportunity; however, CISBF also believes that each student’s potential is just one element among many factors that need attention. While schools must devote their limited resources to address the academic needs of each student, CISBF not only works in partnership with school administration to help foster academic success, but also addresses the whole environment in which the student functions.

CISBF data for the 2020-2021 school year shows that when children are raised in a community that is healthy, thriving, and vested in their success through case management supports provided by CIS Student Support Coordinators, 98% have either graduated or were promoted, and 99% remained in school. This is because Student Support Coordinators have the flexibility and capacity to meet students and their families where they are at, and to address barriers and potential obstacles head on.

Each CISBF Student Support Coordinator manages a minimum caseload of forty-five students in partnership with their school’s support team. Support teams can vary among schools, but often include the principal, vice principal, counselors, attendance secretaries and any other key voices that can provide valuable insight on any given student. The more eyes and ears that are collaboratively invested in the success of a child, the greater the positive impact.

Under CISBF’s open-door policy, any student may be referred for support regardless of whether they rise to the level of needing individualized case management. It’s important to note, here, that support coordinators address a variety of personal challenges on a daily basis in addition to the academic needs of their students. Additional obstacles they commonly address include food insecurity, loss of stable housing, educational equity and student advocacy, basic coping skills, mental health concerns, family disruption and violence, and college and career readiness. These matters, whether directly affecting the student or indirectly impacting them through family, can have negative consequences if left unaddressed.

This is where the strong partnerships between school administration and CISBF Student Support Coordinators shines. With data driven metrics, CISBF Student Support Coordinators build strong relationships, not only with students, but with parents and school teams as well. This increases engagement and provides valuable input for effective program assessments. Open communication between the school and CISBF is instrumental in defining a clear strategy for prioritizing case by case referrals as well as providing basic needs and alternative assistance when necessary.

When schools closed in March of 2020, insecurities among students and their families skyrocketed. As students transitioned to virtual learning, additional barriers such as a lack of internet access and exacerbated food insecurity materialized, and presented logistical nightmares for many families and schools. To help alleviate some of these burdens, CISBF Student Support Coordinators pivoted in their response by delivering internet hot spots, providing necessary cleaning supplies, and regularly driving to rural areas to pick up and drop off homework assignments. CISBF helped entire family units work through COVID presented challenges which included translating correspondence from English into other languages in order to keep parents and other vital family members on the same page with educators. In other words, CISBF Student Support Coordinators bridged a huge educational gap by helping students and their families navigate an extremely difficult and isolating time.

Present day, CISBF Student Support Coordinators are focusing their efforts on helping students re-engage within the classroom. They accomplish this by offering scholarship prep assistance, assisting with college entrance essays, providing letters of recommendation, facilitating employment assistance (not only for the students but for their parents or other family members if needed) and helping their students establish and build social capital through networking. CISBF is in the unique position of having diversified partnerships with various foundations as well as amazing support from participating school districts and private businesses.

Organizations such as Group Health Foundation, McCurley Integrity Subaru, Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, Numerica Credit Union, STCU, HAPO Credit Union, Gesa Credit Union, OSPI, and Three Rivers Community Foundation have been longtime champions of CISBF along with countless other community partners who have come alongside to help serve our local families and youth. Corporations such as Starbucks hold mock interviews for students to give them job interview experience. Organizations such as Hanford Mission Integration Solutions is holding a school pantry drive to help Student Support Coordinators stock up on supplies. A partnership with Columbia Basin College even offers FAFSA (Financial Applications for Student Aid) Nights to help students who are interested in continuing their education navigate the complicated paperwork.

CISBF acknowledges that struggle, hardship, and adversity exist for our youth, more so now than ever before; however, with a strong and invested community focused on support and advocacy for the whole family unit and not just the student, these hardships can not only be endured, they can be overcome!

This feature appears in our Non-Profit section, which is generously sponsored by McCurley Subaru.