EducateNKY Board members and staff went back to school this week, literally.
With the pilot of the Start of School Assistance Program, 50-plus recruited volunteers, including community leaders, NKU students and non-profit employees, provided hands-on support to Covington Ninth District Elementary and Newport Intermediate schools. They welcomed students, assisted with lunch cartons and guided students to classrooms.
“At our core, EducateNKY is a group of local leaders and committed volunteers who envision an education ecosystem that ignites every eager, vibrant mind,” EducateNKY President and CEO Cheye Calvo said in a press release. “There is no better way to make this work real at the start of the school year than by spending a few hours in our schools to make sure our students, families and teachers have extra support to begin their year strong.”
EducateNKY was launched in August 2023 and completed a comprehensive Northern Kentucky education landscape assessment. The report focused on the river city communities of Covington, Newport, Bellevue, Dayton, Southgate and Ludlow, where socioeconomic disparities result in academic outcomes below state and regional averages.
After engaging stakeholders in work groups this summer to gather input, EducateNKY is preparing to finalize and release its 5-year strategic plan focused on five priority areas: early learning, family engagement, school time/exposure, mastery learning and secondary options. An element of EducateNKY’s approach is to engage more community stakeholders in its public schools.
“I am so deeply thankful to EducateNKY for arranging the Start of School Assistance Program volunteers for us,” Jennifer Michael, principal of Newport Intermediate, said in the release. “It’s heartwarming to know that we can count on you to help create a nurturing and supportive environment for our students. Your involvement not only strengthens our school community but also sets a powerful example for our students about the importance of giving back and being an active part of something larger than themselves. Your dedication, time and energy made a world of difference to our students, teachers and the entire school community.”
