In 2015, the Mayor’s Office partnered with intermediary organization Arizona Serve at Prescott College to apply for an Operation AmeriCorps grant, which harnessed all three streams of the national service program to implement a community schools model in eight different high schools across three districts. This model transforms school campuses into resource hubs that can be conveniently accessed by community members who are already served by those schools.

Mayor Rothschild said that by the end of the first year the initiative was able to assist more than 2,800 students through bi-weekly resource nights at the schools, connecting students and families with federal student aid and tax prep, enrolling students in college savings accounts, and other methods.

The mayor added that the program succeeded by focusing on what the students needed on the ground, having AmeriCorps service members in the schools to find the students, and getting the nonprofits to work within the schools. This success, paired with support from local officials, made a clear path to continue the Tucson Community Schools Initiative.

Speaking of newly awarded funding, Arizona Serve Director Ben Olsen said that the grant will “fund 77 AmeriCorps positions across 10 schools, we are expanding into middle schools, and are excited to expand our partnership with Higher Ground. It’s really focused on empowering students and helping them develop a positive vision for their future.” This expanding partnership includes Arizona Serve at Prescott College, Higher Ground: A Resource Center, La Frontera Behavioral Health, and the city of Tucson.

Mayor Rothschild noted that Pueblo High School graduation rates increased 3% and 84% of the school’s graduates said they would be pursuing post-secondary education, a number that rose 11% over last year.

“Moving that needle is a big deal, so I want to thank everybody who has participated,” he said.

Beyond the numbers, the vision of a community school keeps the “person” as the guiding star, a concept that Principal Augustine Romero of Pueblo Magnet High School embraces.

“We want to recognize our vision for Pueblo, that it becomes the community’s center of health – not a health center, but a center of health – where it is the healthiest place our students can be,” said  Romero. “I want to thank all those who carry the water to make this happen and that’s our AmeriCorps people, Sabryna Alers (AmeriCorps VISTA), Michelle Valenti (AmeriCorps State Member), and Meg Riley and Ben Olsen (Arizona Serve program staff).”

News coverage raised awareness of the Tucson Community Schools Initiative and increased the potential for community members to become involved, which has been a driving force for the program.

During my first month of service, I took part in an intensive training schedule developed and implemented by my Supervisor Jennifer Little, Success By 6 Manager, and Edna Galvan, Program Coordinator at United Way of Lake County. They are key members of United Way’s family and have been guiding me through the daily work in the organization and my responsibilities as a VISTA team member. These responsibilities include the development and implementation of learning and interactive activities for children and carrying out preplanned activities and curriculum at the classroom. I have also been mentored and trained on how they develop and implements their strategies for Kindergarten Readiness and other Success By 6 initiatives.

As an AmeriCorps VISTA Member I am working to eliminate poverty and the negative effects it has on our community. In my role as a VISTA Member, I support these goals by helping provide high-risk children with the core skills they need to succeed in school. One main highlight for the past two months was the Kindergarten Countdown Camp that I helped put together at North Elementary School in Waukegan, where 32 children with little or no preschool experience participated. Almost half of incoming kindergarten students in Waukegan School District do not attend a formal preschool program. Kindergarten Countdown Camp was led by licensed teachers who worked with the students to get them ready for their transition into kindergarten.

In addition North Elementary served as a Summer Feeding Site.  There were 118 children who received a nutritious breakfast and lunch. The program served breakfast from 8:45 - 9:00 a.m. and lunch from 11:40 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Our next Camp will take place at Lyon Elementary School, starting on August 1st and lasting through August 11; where the site will also serve breakfast.

Working in a community of low income and underserved families can pose many challenges to the educational achievement of our children. Helping children successfully overcome these challenges will help reduce social inequality and create opportunities for our youth. Education is the best tool for empowering our community, and this is how United Way of Lake County's Success By 6 Program is helping eradicate poverty. Our success is measured by the gains these children make in their literacy skills development as well as making sure parents know all of the  health requirements needed in order to start school.