Episode 2: Community Connections

In today’s episode, we’ll hear from two community programs that play a vital role in an investment in the lives of our students. Discover how these programs leverage stakeholder support to establish a sustainable environment for our students to succeed.

Transcript

Meaghan Paramore (00:02.222)
you

Meaghan Paramore (00:15.042)
Welcome to It Means More, the stories behind Dothan City Schools, where we explore the extraordinary dedication and innovation happening in our classrooms and communities every day. I'm Megan Dorsey, Public Relations Officer for Dothan City Schools, and today I'm joined with my guest co-host, Dr. Dennis Coe, Superintendent of Dothan City Schools. And today we're discussing community connections, exploring the vital role that community partnerships play in enhancing education and providing students

with real-world experiences. In today's episode, we'll hear from two community programs that play a vital role in an investment in the lives of our students. Discover how these programs leverage stakeholder support to establish a sustainable environment for our students to succeed.

Today we have with us, Brittany Colbrith from Liberty Learning Foundation. Liberty Learning Foundation is a nonprofit organization facilitating active civics and character programs in K through 12 classrooms and orchestrating immersive events that empower schools, parents, local leaders, and businesses to take ownership of the future of the community and country. And our next guest is Brittany Shepherd.

District Coordinator for Bright Key. Bright Key is a community schools program for Dothan City Schools dedicated to meeting the comprehensive needs of every student. We focus on fostering growth by considering all facets of a student's life that includes his or her's family, school, and community. Welcome, Brittany and Brittany. Thank you for having us. Thanks.

This could be interesting with with Brenly and Brittany. Let's start out with this question. Brenly, we'll start with you. How about discussing how your partnership enriches the curriculum and provides students with valuable experiences?

Meaghan Paramore (02:03.064)
Well, we think that our partnership enriches students and the teachers because we have our programs set where it follows right along with the curriculum they have to do in the classroom. So we like to think we're more of an additional resource for the teachers to have. We really think that we have a valuable experience for the students and to give them, and then we also feel like we're just an extra resource and support system for our teachers. So if you had to say a primary goal,

of your organization, Liberty Learning. What would you say that would be? It would be our character development and fostering our essential skills for them to go out into the workforce and especially our financial literacy. And that starts with what grade? Second grade. Second grade. goes all the way through? All the way through 12th here in Dothan. Dothan was our pilot. They were our first school to get it all the way through 12th.

Now everybody wants it. What about Bright Key? Okay. Brittany? Well, you Bright Key is a stakeholder driven community schools program. And so what we say is that the stakeholders are anybody that has a stake in the success of the students at our Bright Key schools. So really a lot of that is our parents and the family members. The model is they tell us what they want for their students, what they see the needs are for their schools. And we work to meet those needs by connecting community partners.

to those schools to provide programs and services on site to students so they may not have access to, you know, just in their regular lives. Some examples is Girls Inc. We bring Girls Inc. to the school for all girls to participate in, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts. We do a lot of that. We bring the services to the school. So we feel like that enhances them in more ways than one. And then they get to kind of have interaction with outside organizations that they wouldn't have otherwise.

So is there one thing that Bright Key would do that excels above other programs that we have within Dothan City Schools? Where would you say the strength would be? Well, our strength is probably in relationships because everything we do has a relational aspect to it. One of the main programs, the number one ask at every Bright Key School from our parents has been academic support. And the way that we answer that need, that question, is we provide one-on-one partners for students to receive academic support.

Meaghan Paramore (04:08.278)
also known as tutoring and mentorship. And so that is probably our bread and butter because it has data outcomes that we can tie to it for academics, but really it's more about the attendance and behavior outcomes that we see because those students have one caring adult that they see every week that they have consistency with, that they know they're gonna be able to be encouraged by and that person becomes sort of their little cheerleader throughout the school year. And then we've seen we've been in so many schools for several years that a lot of these volunteers work with the same student for a number of years. So that relationship is even.

even deeper and I think that's where our outcomes come the most is from those relationships. How could you say some of these approaches help prepare students for the future? let's start with you. Okay, I think I want to tie it back to that relational aspect because the Academic Dream Room is our space on the campuses that are Brad Kee schools and that is where we do most of our programming.

And every school, like I said, academic support is a number one ask. And that is tying a community member, a parent, a grandparent, business employees, ACOM students, Wallace students, Dothan High students are even doing this and partnering with some of our schools. And they're building that one relationship there. And so that really is where we see it become important to the child. They look forward to it. But it also builds sort of an intrinsic motivation within them because that adult, that caring adult or older peer

is really investing in them, not just academically, but getting to know them and wanting them to succeed. And so they have that background cheerleader that they know is looking out for them and wanting them to do their best. And so they, in turn, feel that they need to be more motivated and have that intrinsic desire to succeed. Sounds like a great program. And you know, with us, with our students, the people that we deal with, a great percentage of our students have single parent homes. And so I know having a mentor available to them

is certainly important and helps that student have a better chance to succeed. Abroad with Liberty Learning, when you look at that program, the innovative approaches that you use, what would you say are some of the things that stand out? So for our younger ones, we say early foundation. They're really getting the civic pride, responsibility, purpose, and belonging with the younger program. Then when you move up to our seventh grade program, we really try to focus in on community service.

Meaghan Paramore (06:19.97)
They have to get together in groups and do a community service project and then present it to people in the community. They come to see what they've done. And they really have to stand by their project. And a lot of times those kids get proud of what they've done. And so they will sometimes continue it or they even talk to the grade coming behind them like, hey, keep our project going because it was successful by doing this. And then our ninth graders.

probably my favorite thing. It's the financial literacy, it's our reality check, and they have to pay taxes, they have to buy a home, buy a car, credit score, and they've got to figure out what they're doing with a real budget. We give them actual money and they've got to go pay their bills and buy these things and that sticks with them. I talked to a group of seniors this year, I was like, do y'all remember that? They're like, oh yeah, I remember it. And they do, it really sticks with them. And then for our high schoolers or 12th grade, we have that life skills where we do our adulting day.

That one really stands out for me because those kids, this is like their last time they're with us before they go off into the real world. So we try to let them hit as many things as possible, whether it's how to apply for an apartment, how to apply for a job, how to fill out a form for your taxes. We bring people to them to show them those kinds of things. How to change your oil, how to cook a recipe with just a few ingredients quickly. Those are my standouts that I would say from little ones all the way up. So in a nutshell, you're teaching and guiding students.

from elementary all the way through high school is really how to be a productive member of society. Absolutely. And I think, you know, one of the things that stands out to me, you see the early age, the younger children that go through the program are taught at an early age. And I think that's something that's really important for us is pride in your country. You start out with defining what is liberty, what does liberty mean to you. I said, so I think I...

That's one of the things that I'm proud of that we're exposing our children to is that just instilling in them the pride in our country, the freedoms that we have aren't necessarily available throughout the world. And so that's something that I applaud your organization for, for hammering it down on that with our students and helping them understand that they do have things. As an American, they do have intrinsic rights that aren't necessarily available all over the world.

Meaghan Paramore (08:35.682)
I applaud you for that as well. really get to learn what it means to be a hero at a young age and then how to honor them. And a hero is more than just your favorite athlete. It's someone who's around you and who's supporting you. So we like for them to stop and recognize that. That leads perfectly into the next thing. Is there a personal story from a student or colleague about the impact of the program? I know we've got the heroes program with Liberty Learning. Is there something there you'd like to share or anything that sticks out in your mind?

I have an absolute favorite hero story. It was one of my first ones that I ever got to see, but it really means something to me when the kids understand why they're doing what we've taught. And so there's a second grade girl, and she was at Highlands, and she honored her classmate that was deaf, her aide, because she asked the aide, said, I really want to be friends with this girl. Could you please teach me sign language? And the aide took time with the student.

who she wasn't the aid for, and taught her sign language. And when she got up there to read her speech, she said, it's because of you that I have a friend now. And it, man, it was so sweet. And I love when the kids really grasp it. Even when they're young, that they had someone really help them and support them, even if it was small to them. My favorite too is, well, it's always gonna be my reality check. The kids paying their taxes and buying a house and a car. And they're like, wait, hold on, I'm broke.

I don't have enough money and I love to see the wheels turning and the kids who are like, can I get a roommate? And I'm like, yes, I love for you to think outside the box. So every time that happens, that's always my favorite time. So talk a little bit more about the HERO program. How does that work? Okay, so when you were learning our lessons in your classroom, we really talked to the kids about, hey, these are people that we want you to recognize.

They're helping you, whether it's at school, whether it's outside of school, maybe it's a police officer, maybe it's someone who's served in the Army, and those kind of people we want you to really think about and stop. So we oftentimes bring people to come talk to the kids about what it is they do. And the kids, a lot of times, notice their resource officer. like, they've really protected us. So that's our second graders. Our fifth graders, though, they have a little bit of an extra step. So we have a financial literacy lesson that goes hand in hand with honoring the hero.

Meaghan Paramore (10:53.524)
And so they are asked to raise a little bit of money, they have to raise $30 for their statue, and they get, the fifth graders get an actual statue, and it has a piece of the actual Statue of Liberty inside of it, it's very neat. And so they take a little more time with it. Usually they sell popsicles or something to raise their $30, and then they get to vote as a class on who they should nominate. And they vote, like, I think this person, I think this person, and they talk about it.

in the classroom and they get to vote and they choose it and then whoever they chose as their hero, they write a paper about and then we honor them at our celebration we do. That's a really cool celebration and I have to say I have three members of my family who have all been honored through the Liberty Learning Foundation. My husband's been honored as a parental involvement specialist at Kelly Springs and both of my parents who have a mentoring program. They have both been honored and it's been so sweet to go to those ceremonies.

and see the kids read their little letters. I love it. And they learn everything about their hero. just, you see all the different heroes from across the community, no matter who they are, being recognized. And it's just, it's amazing. Brittany, Briankey, what are some examples there? Is there a particular personal story that sticks in your mind? There's so many. And so it's hard thinking about this, narrowing something down, because...

Like I said, I'm going to be a broken record. But the relationships are really huge, especially in that tutoring and mentoring program. So there's a lot of stories there. When I was a coordinator at the school level, I was at Highlands Elementary, and it was just amazing because those kids every day, Miss Shepherd, Miss Shepherd, is my person coming today, is my person coming today. So that relational aspect is huge, but just something that happened to me last night that helped me kind of see the impact that Bright Key makes in the schools. We're in seven schools now, and one of those newer ones is Jerry LeFayne and

They started a Girl Scouts program where Girl Scouts comes and does a Girl Scout troop for every girl at the school kindergarten through fifth grade. And I went and I was at the harbor last night serving meals and this little girl, she recognized me and I'm not there every day at fame, but she said, hey, you come to my school. And I said, I do. She said, and we do Girl Scouts because of you and Bright Key. And you think about students.

Meaghan Paramore (13:08.558)
in some of the areas of Dothan that really don't have access to programs like this and participating in programs like that. It just made me think, okay, so we are bringing opportunities to these students that they wouldn't have access to otherwise. And I began talking to her mother. They relocated to Dothan for better cost of living from South Florida with very little money to get here. And she just was so excited and impressed that her students who were at Vane and Carver 9 have the opportunity to do all of these things that they didn't have.

where they came from and it's just built into their school day, into their curriculum, into their everyday lives. How would you say these type events help strengthen the bond between schools and the wider community? Well we are all about community partnerships. That's how we do anything, whether it be volunteer, an organization, a nonprofit. I mentioned several of the organizations we work with already, but we have

connections with so many businesses, organizations in this community that come. It's all about bringing the community into the schools. And so we partner with ACOM, Wallace, businesses like Personnel Resources, several of the banks, All In, Five Star, churches, First Baptist, Calvary. We have so many community connections that come into the school through Bright Key programs, through the schools, through Bright Key programs. And they're getting to see what's happening on a daily basis in our school buildings. And they get to

go away and be advocates for our schools and for our students. And so I think that's the wider impact that we make by bringing in community partnerships. What about Liberty Learning? How does that, how do the events that your organization have, how do they strengthen the bond between schools and the community? Our biggest bond is the bond between school and community. That's what we rely on, whether it's financially or with volunteers. We just encourage our community to pour back into our kids and in return our kids to

support your community. They support you, you support them. And so we really rely on that kind of relationship of people coming to our events, seeing what we do, and also coming to our, not just our kickoffs to see, but actually coming in the classroom and helping there too. This past week I was at Dothan High School and I really kind of honed in like, careers are we interested in guys? What are you wanting to hear about? And so I asked the students who they'd like to hear from before I have someone come talk.

Meaghan Paramore (15:19.35)
And they really are excited about their futures and things that they haven't really thought about necessarily sometimes, a career that might not have been a possibility or on their radar. And so I'm like, well, I could bring someone to talk to you about this or that. And they thrive off that. They're like, yes, absolutely. We're interested in hearing from someone. So I bring someone to their classroom to teach them about all these different, whether it's a trade or certain education program they can go through. That's just kind of how our community and schools, they have to give hand in hand. Tell us about your program.

So we'll start with you, Brinley. great. So Liberty Learning Foundation is a program in its whole that's trying to get kids life, career, and citizen ready. And so we really teach kids that the most important role they have in life is a citizen. We tell kids it's more important than being the president of the United States. Being a citizen is such a big responsibility. And so we start out with that and we really kind of day with that focus throughout their high school or their full education.

We really focus on our civics, teaching that to kids, and then also financial literacy and the career readiness. That's what Liberty Learning is all about. Brittany, tell me a little bit about Bright Key. Well, Bright Key is a community schools program. So the concept is to bring community partnerships into the school and provide resources and activities, events and programs and services for students. And we began as a partnership with Wiregrass Foundation in 2015 and now Dothan City Schools is fully invested.

and as the funding partner for Bright Key. We are in seven schools, Highlands and Selma Street, where our pilot school started with the Wiregrass Foundation, and then Heard and Morris Slingliff were added in. The state helped us expand to Jerry Lee Fane, and now Dothan Sixth Grade Center, and then this year, DPA has become a Bright Key School, and so they just officially voted it in, because it is stakeholder-driven. That means that...

They have to vote the program into the school, those parents and teachers and staff, and then they really drive the decisions of what the programs and services will be. So if it doesn't come out of their minds and mouths, we don't do it. But our whole goal is to, is the whole child. And you'll probably have a conversation with Dr. Benner and the whole child, how it ties so much into Bright Key, but the whole child, every child, their whole family, and then the whole school and the whole community or neighborhood. So everything we do kind of trickles in to how it's going to impact the child, their whole selves.

Meaghan Paramore (17:40.778)
academic, social, emotional, mental, physical health, and then their family, and then of course the school at large, and then the community and the neighborhood in which they live. And so I'm really excited because we have some partnerships that are really going to grow that through UAB, at Jerry Lee Fain, and some other amazing partnerships. But stakeholder-driven main thing. So the schools have programs that are different because their stakeholders are different. They ask for different needs. And then everything is self-sustaining. So we do all of our things with little to no funding.

which means that we really rely on those community partnerships. co-locate their services to our schools. And then finally, it's got to provide some measurable student outcomes for us. So we always look at our data for attendance behavior and academic growth and achievement. It's been evaluated annually by PARCA, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama. And we found that students in schools participating in bright key programs achieve academic growth rates and targets at higher and faster rates. But really where we see the most difference is

and attendance and behavior. And we know we're not the only good thing happening in these schools. There's dedicated administrators and teachers and staff. But students that participate in Bright Q programs on a consistent basis are less than half as likely to commit a behavior infraction or have chronic absenteeism. That's a huge benefit for our students. we've looked at here locally, we've looked at how does that affect our chronic absenteeism. We look at

How do they compare to other students who aren't participating in Brachy? Talk about the academic dream room. Each of our sites have an academic dream room there. Talk about that and what someone from the community could expect if they come on campus. And where would they go? What would they do? And what takes place in that room? Well, the number one ask by parents and stakeholders, all stakeholders, is more academic support. And the way that we do that is through the academic dream room, which is

basically the bright key room in every school. And those rooms are sponsored by Community Partner. This is only one and only time we really ask for money from the community. So we have wonderful community sponsors, Personnel Resources, Ameris Bank, Mike Schmitz, First Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, AAA Cooper, and now Five Star and Wiregrass Home Team are coming on board to help us at DPA.

Meaghan Paramore (19:53.038)
So that is the location and those sponsorships provide the resources and furnishings for that location. But the way that we run the program, the way it happens is through volunteer support. And so what we look for is dedicated, enthusiastic people who are willing to come as consistently as possible for about 30 to 45 minutes a week to work one-on-one with a child, the same child throughout the year. There's an academic component, but its basic academic needs, academic support to get them.

ready to learn more grade level materials. So we like to tell our volunteers, don't worry, you're not going to be doing seventh grade math. We're going to be working on basic academic skills, reading fluency, things like that. And they work with the same child throughout the school year. So it's a mentorship type relationship that they're building. They are becoming their cheerleader and becoming the person that they are, that's most consistent in their lives at school, besides their teachers. So. I actually have a question for Dr. Cah.

As a great leader of our schools, know, we say community connections, community partnerships is what build our schools. And, know, I was sitting here listening to everyone and we of course were featuring, you know, Bright Key and Liberty Learning, but we have so many other organizations that come into our schools and they work with our schools like Wiregrass Art Museum, Alabama Dance Works, Landmark Park. Can you think of any others? And what does it mean to you?

as superintendent that has so many different organizations that are willing to connect with our schools. That's one thing that I'm extremely proud of and I'd hate to start naming individuals because I'd leave somebody out. But we have, I've just been just floored by the level of community support that Dothan City Schools has. And so we have, you've mentioned a few of those there, but there are

know, numerous organizations throughout the city. If we get in a bind and we really need help, I've never in my time here been able to go out into the community and ask for something that we didn't receive. And so the community is involved in the school system. I think they do genuinely care about what goes on and that's evident in the level of support that we receive.

Meaghan Paramore (22:15.914)
When you look at, when we've had the Liberty Learning events that we've had, we've had numerous members of the community show up for those events. When we have ribbon cuttings for bright key, mean, we've had 50, 60 people from, you know, from parents and business organizations show up at that event. When you look at the athletic events that we're having now, our RIPU Stadium is full on Friday nights. That hasn't happened in a long time. When you look at our

our athletic events. I those are full. We're being able to offer, you know, fine arts programs, competitions that we have, and we're just seeing, you know, a greater level of support. I think some of that is they're starting to see the good things that we're doing. I think some of that is we finally passed COVID and people were cooped up, you know, for two or three years.

And so they're coming up, people are coming out of their shell now and I think we are, we're experiencing some of that support that we've never seen before. And it's evident when you look at all of our schools and the progress that we've made in the last four five years throughout the district is really phenomenal. And I attribute that to the support, just like the organizations that we have here. We can't do it without community support. And I've said this

numerous times that public schools belong to the public and we can never forget that. We're not always going to be perfect, not always going to do things exactly the way everybody in the community wants, but we always have at the focus of our efforts what's best for the students of Dothan City Schools and I think people recognize that and that's part of why people are so willing to jump in and support. That is awesome.

Brittany, you had something that I realized I didn't really fully answer Dr. Goh's question. Okay. Well, go ahead. About what people see when they come in and they want to be a part of Bright Key. You know, they come in and they go to this room, the Academic Dream Room, and then they work with that child. But it's really easy, and so I'm going to put a plug in and ask if anybody's willing to work with a student one-on-one for pretty much the duration of the school year. So you really get to know them.

Meaghan Paramore (24:37.4)
please call me, email me. It's really simple process, it's not hard, and we do have to pass a background check and be trained by some school staff. But it's pretty quick and easy and you can talk to anyone that has volunteered through BrightKey that they find that it's really rewarding for them, not just the student. And Brilly, do you need any volunteers? This is a great opportunity to make that call to action to volunteers. Yes, so actually we have to have around

40 volunteers for our reality checks to happen. That financial literacy simulation that we do, I usually start out with my banks and they send people, but I'm always looking for volunteers, especially ones who wanted to go in the classroom, maybe share about their career path they chose. Because a lot of times what we think we want to be when we're younger isn't what actually pans out. And so I love for the kids to hear real life stories from people like that. And then our adulting day, we have a lot of volunteers that I've...

require for that day to happen. Yeah, that would be wonderful. They could absolutely reach out to me. So the simulation, you talked about that, the financial simulation. Talk about that for somebody that's not familiar with that and that might be listening today and doesn't really understand. What does that look like? OK, sure. So the financial literacy simulation that we do, it's a two-day process. It's coming up in October. And the kids spend the first day.

really learning about what's about to happen, what they're about to get to do. And so they are learning about taxes. They are learning about a credit score. They're learning about what percentage of your budget would you want to have for your mortgage, for your car, and what an actual salary looks like. So we have an account ledger for them to look at with their money. And then the second day they come in and it's time, okay.

let's pay our taxes and then let's go buy our house and then let's go buy our car. And so my community volunteers are helping be there, my bankers, they're helping take cash and make change and making sure that the student's money balance is out at the end of each thing that they've purchased. And then it's not quite that simple either because once they've gotten settled and they think, I figured this out, I can afford this car and I can afford this house, they get hit with a real life situation where...

Meaghan Paramore (27:03.95)
we've handed them a scenario and everybody has a different scenario. Maybe you got $100 because it was your birthday or maybe you had a flat tire and now you have to pay $200. And so, and it happens and once they get comfortable because that's how life works, right? And we want it to be as realistic as possible. The only thing that we've had to change quite frequently lately is the price of things have gone up. So we've had to change out our boards for buying cars and homes. like, wait, that's not what that house costs anymore. So we do have to update that, but we try to make it as real as possible.

And we also give them salaries for starting out careers. They have a job and their job will have a salary of making anywhere from like $32,000 a year to $45,000 a year and they have to do a monthly budget with that income. I think some adults need to come through there. You want to sign me up for that? Yes, I'm thinking, wow, where was this when I was in school? I want to listen to that. And that's why when I'm talking to my seniors, I go, oh, I remember that day.

I remember my credit score was like a 492, so I couldn't buy a house, I had to rent. And so that's real though. Anyway, so I really enjoyed that part. I did forget to talk about part of our Citizen Promise program for our high schoolers. They have one more thing that they have to do on their own. They have to do something called Citizen Actions, which is where we ask them to do volunteer work in their community or things to improve themselves. And so...

I go over every year, I refresh them, hey, this is how we enter it. And they actually do them. We always do a test run, and then I go back and I look and they've entered them some throughout the year. If they've done that by the time they're seniors, they're eligible to apply for our grant. And our grant is $1,000. They get, whether they're going into the workforce or they're going to college, whatever they could use that $1,000 for, that's how we kind of turn back around and reward them for putting in the effort through high school.

So let's put this plug in too. We talk about citizenship. You talk about the importance of voting as well. So I think it's important for everybody out there to understand this is a nonpartisan effort. And so we don't promote any particular political party or philosophy. It's just the importance of being able to vote. Yes. I always talk to them about importance of voting. And when they're old enough and they've registered to vote, when they're seniors, they can enter that as a citizen action too. And I encourage them.

Meaghan Paramore (29:25.902)
get to know your local community elected officials. These people are giving back to your school sometimes. You need to know who they are. And they love to find out when they're 18, they could also run for a commissioner. They're like, what? I thought you had to be 35. And I'm like, no. This is real. This is happening. And they really kind of soaked that in. So you mentioned that. I'll throw this out just as a plug. Representative Rick Ream is a staunch supporter of.

that program and has used a lot of his funds to continue that for the students here in Dothan City Schools. I've asked people a lot, like, do you know who your state representative here is? And they're like, oh, I don't think so. And I'm like, it's Rick Ream. You should get to know him. He's trying to get to know y'all. You should always know who's a part of what's happening in your life. so whether it's big or small, even if they're behind the scenes, I think it's important for the kids to know.

That's awesome. Well, before we wrap up, we're going to go around the room. And Dr. Coe, you're going to be asked this question as well. So what does the work you do mean to you? So Brinley, we'll start with you. Great. So I love the nonprofit world. I've always been in the nonprofit world. But this is the most fulfilling thing I've ever been a part of. From the young ones when they're so enthusiastic about meeting Libby Liberty.

to the seniors who are just like, it's really clicking with them. Like I've got to put this into place, our actions into place. And so I absolutely love the work we do. I feel like we actually really make a difference and I love being there for the kids, getting to be in the classroom, seeing it all come together for them. All right, Brittany, what does it mean to you? Well, as I've said multiple times about relationships, Bright Key is a lot about relationships, whether that's community partners.

or those individual relationships. there's a quote that I love, and I think it's kind of unattributed, but every child is one caring adult relationship away from a success story. And through Bright Key, we offer more caring adult relationships to our students for their academic careers, for their social emotional health and wellbeing. And so I would just encourage, like what it means to me is being able to connect those relationships.

Meaghan Paramore (31:49.982)
I've seen it so many times in my almost 10 years here now, working with Breitke, how those relationships really make a difference. And so I would encourage you, if you're listening and you want to make a difference in life, a child be one caring adult for them and volunteer with Breitke. All right, your turn, Dr. Coe. So, you know, this is Community Connections, but, you know, we've already discussed what it means to you for the community connection part of it, but all this work that everyone is doing, what does it mean to you?

Well, you can't quantify the importance of that for a child. And this is my 36th year in education. so our work is always focused on the needs of a child. And we can't do it ourselves. When you look at society today, our public schools, I'm a firm believer in public schools.

We have a lot of room for improvement, but we also do some fabulous things that other schools entities don't. I think that the opportunities that we provide our children have to be something that would result in our students being productive members of society.

When you look at schools now, schools really are a microcosm of society. Some of the challenges that we see are a result of, in my opinion, the degradation of the home. And so a lot of the work that we do, a lot of the supports in both of these organizations here today are filling gaps that exist because of the breakdown of the home. And so I think...

You know, it's something outside our control. We certainly can't control what goes on at the home, but we do have an obligation to make sure that we raise children in a manner where they are productive. You know, all of us are going to get to a point to where we're going to need help at some point in our life, whether or not we're successful or not. At some point, you're going to need help from some other individual.

Meaghan Paramore (34:04.502)
And we need to raise up a generation of people who are globally minded, who are community minded, who do understand the importance of working together as people and are willing to help each other along the way. We want to thank our guests for joining us today.

Today we've learned about two of our many community partnerships in Go To Sea Schools that have enabled students to engage in a variety of enriching activities that foster both personal and academic growth. From after school programs that offer tutoring and mentorship to community service projects that teach the importance of civic responsibility. Initiatives like these are making a tangible difference in the lives of our young people. We invite you to get involved.

Whether it's by supporting our schools, sharing your own stories, or simply spreading the word about the incredible work happening. Join us on our mission to make education more meaningful for every student. Next time on It Means More, we'll be exploring the power of innovation in education and how our schools and one local organization are working together to create innovative lessons that help students step outside the traditional norms of a textbook.

Until then, remember that at Delta State Schools, it always means more.