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Technology will play a key part in keeping volunteers informed as Neosho launches its Bright Futures campaign.
Collective action that will help fill needs at the Neosho R-5 School District is what the new community-based organization is all about, said Jonathan Russell, chair of the Bright Futures Neosho advisory board.
“The goal is to bring together all of the community organizations, businesses, faith-based organizations to kind of have a common effort to help meet the needs of children in our community,” Russell said. “What we found is that a lot of times different organizations have different priorities, but those priorities could overlap with another organization and while overlapping is great, a lot of times it leaves gaps where some needs aren’t being met.”
Across the region, a high percentage of students qualify for free and reduced-rate lunches and that indicates a great need for assistance, said Dr. Richard Page, superintendent of Neosho schools.
Organizers kicked off the new program with the beginning of school, although plans have been in the works since April.
“Whatever it takes to help a child succeed and graduate is what Bright Futures is about,” Russell said.
Graduation rates affect the community at large, he noted, and sometimes children have unmet physical or emotional needs that don’t leave them ready to learn.
“We’re focusing on graduation rates at the elementary level,” Russell said.
Graduation rates in Neosho hover at 82 percent, Page said. In the 2009-10 school year, Neosho’s dropout rate reached 6 percent, but with the institution of Destination Graduation and other programs, the district cut it in half, leaving the 2010-2011 school year with a 3 percent drop-out rate. Those programs tried to accommodate students internally, but barriers to graduation can come from outside the classroom.
“We know it’s not just a school problem,” Page said. “We’ve got to work together with our community in order to provide service to those kids.”
He hopes giving students equal access and opportunity will help them build success and that those graduates will, in turn, help others.
Volunteer ambassadors will be appointed to each school to help evaluate and meet needs. More than 100 people showed up for a Tuesday morning breakfast launching the new venture. In the future there may be large projects associated with the program, perhaps recognizing student achievement or providing for expenses so students can be involved in sports or extracurricular activity. A golf tournament to support the new organization will be held in September.
Technology will play a key part in keeping volunteers informed as Neosho launches its Bright Futures campaign.
Collective action that will help fill needs at the Neosho R-5 School District is what the new community-based organization is all about, said Jonathan Russell, chair of the Bright Futures Neosho advisory board.
“The goal is to bring together all of the community organizations, businesses, faith-based organizations to kind of have a common effort to help meet the needs of children in our community,” Russell said. “What we found is that a lot of times different organizations have different priorities, but those priorities could overlap with another organization and while overlapping is great, a lot of times it leaves gaps where some needs aren’t being met.”
Across the region, a high percentage of students qualify for free and reduced-rate lunches and that indicates a great need for assistance, said Dr. Richard Page, superintendent of Neosho schools.
Organizers kicked off the new program with the beginning of school, although plans have been in the works since April.
“Whatever it takes to help a child succeed and graduate is what Bright Futures is about,” Russell said.
Graduation rates affect the community at large, he noted, and sometimes children have unmet physical or emotional needs that don’t leave them ready to learn.
“We’re focusing on graduation rates at the elementary level,” Russell said.
Graduation rates in Neosho hover at 82 percent, Page said. In the 2009-10 school year, Neosho’s dropout rate reached 6 percent, but with the institution of Destination Graduation and other programs, the district cut it in half, leaving the 2010-2011 school year with a 3 percent drop-out rate. Those programs tried to accommodate students internally, but barriers to graduation can come from outside the classroom.
“We know it’s not just a school problem,” Page said. “We’ve got to work together with our community in order to provide service to those kids.”
He hopes giving students equal access and opportunity will help them build success and that those graduates will, in turn, help others.
Volunteer ambassadors will be appointed to each school to help evaluate and meet needs. More than 100 people showed up for a Tuesday morning breakfast launching the new venture. In the future there may be large projects associated with the program, perhaps recognizing student achievement or providing for expenses so students can be involved in sports or extracurricular activity. A golf tournament to support the new organization will be held in September.
Churches, businesses, other groups and individuals are invited to join in the program, Russell said, and their input is welcomed.
“We want this to be a community effort from the beginning,” he said.
Sometimes civic groups want the chance to volunteer, but don’t know where their help is needed, Russell said. Bright Futures will help identify not only student needs, but also times where schools could use a little help – say a school carnival or other event.
The organization will combine civic and faith-based groups, businesses and parents to address unmet needs in the school district. Combining those four will bring up solutions someone with a different mindset may have overlooked,
“I don’t see the world the same way a minister does,” Russell said.
A simple step to getting involved with the new program, Russell said, is to visit the Bright Futures Neosho Facebook site and “like” the page, setting up a feed of updates from local school ambassadors
“Communication is huge for Bright Futures to work,” Russell said.
The Bright Futures page will advertise needs and take in responses to help connect the two.
“We’ll make sure these people are in the loop when it comes to helping out in certain ways,” Page said.
For more information about Bright Futures Neosho, visit their Facebook page or call Melissa Thomas, 451-8600 ext 1162.
