I am honored to know and share the remarkable pandemic history of the communities in Schools of New Mexico and how this group has given hope and resilience to countless families over the unprecedented past 18 months.
Since 2015 I have observed and admired the deep commitment of communities in schools to the local community. They help students through a variety of support methods to make sure no one falls through the cracks and everyone graduates from high school.
Modeled on Founder Bill Milliken’s philosophy, “It’s relationships, not programs, that transforms children”, communities in schools develop trusting relationships and personal bonds, giving hope to many students and families struggling with educational resource issues and poverty .
Communities in Schools of New Mexico were founded in Santa Fe in 2012. It uses community resources and works in partnership with Title I schools to develop a support network for students who are at risk of dropping out of school due to hunger or insecure housing, violence or other trauma at home.
Through a deep understanding of the needs of students and families and through working hard to build authentic relationships, the Communities in Schools staff provide individualized support programs for whole students / whole families that allow students to stay in school with confidence attain and achieve educational success.
We have all seen and / or experienced the chaos the pandemic brought to schools and families. In the midst of this chaos, the community staff in schools left nothing out. It quickly doubled to serve the most vulnerable in the poorest communities in Santa Fe. These communities were disproportionately affected by the hardships of COVID-19 as most were already living on the fringes.
As frontline communities in schools, they witnessed how needs multiplied due to the impact of the pandemic. It was in the perfect position to respond to.
The organization’s existing relationships with students and families enabled it to provide immediate assistance in ways that schools and teachers could not. The community coordinators at Schools sites were directly connected to families and students by constantly texting, talking on the phone, and being connected to one another online. Even in the virtual environment, this enabled them to quickly hear and understand new and growing needs.
This resulted in delivering over 145,000 meals, providing Internet access through technical and financial assistance, paying rent to keep families in their homes, motivating students to get involved, bringing virtual tutors together with students to do keeping them on track academically, and often simply providing a trusted and supportive voice for adults to listen and alleviate student trauma.
The Communities in Schools team continues to work on COVID-19 and continues to have an oversized impact on those it serves. These people are bearers of hope and offer moments of joy for families in trouble. Without the care and support of the communities in the schools, these families would not have known where to turn and could have become desperate.
While communities in schools had an impact on students during the coronavirus pandemic, honestly, it has always been their job. The organization is committed to one of the most difficult things in the social field – building human skills. She is also a strong advocate for justice and social justice. The staff is as diverse as the communities in which they operate, and many come from the same neighborhoods. Before diversity, justice and inclusivity training became popular, communities in schools had already trained their employees in culturally appropriate language and practice as well as in trauma-informed care.
It’s a whole-student team that includes not only academic support, but robust health and wellness programs that provide access to food, nutrition programs, and mental health counseling.
During the pandemic, communities in schools were at the forefront of providing critical basic needs to students and families. In doing so, it was a role model of resilience and courage, just as it is committed to developing the students they serve.
After the pandemic, communities in schools will calmly, seriously, and authentically carry on this vital work and serve as graceful companions for many children and families in our community. It’s a group that is just as inspiring to me as it is to so many others in the community.
Kelly Pope, a former Silicon Valley social entrepreneur, now lives in Santa Fe and works as a social sector strategic advisor and community leader.
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