Bright Futures, a new program at the Siloam Springs School District, will connect kids in need with adults who want to help.
The school board gave approval for the district to join the national organization in January. It will be debuted at a kick-off breakfast at the Middle School on Friday morning.
Bright Futures USA is a non-profit that helps schools connect student needs with resources that already exist in the community, according to the organization's website, www.brightfuturesusa.org.
There are plenty of adults in Siloam Springs who want to help kids, but they may not know student's specific needs or how to help, according to Grace Davis, professional development director for the district.
"It's about Siloam Springs adults taking care of Siloam Springs kids," she said.
Bright Futures will be an umbrella structure that will cover all schools in the district. The national organization encourages schools to tailor the program to their local needs, so Siloam Springs' Bright Futures will evolve as it grows, Davis said.
"It is exciting because I don't know what it will look like in a year," Davis said. "It is us, it is Siloam Springs; we will make it best for our children."
Everyone has time, treasure or talent, whether it is time to volunteer, financial resources to provide support or a specific talent they can use to help local children, Davis said.
Siloam Springs Bright Futures has a board consisting of school staff, parents, business leaders and clergy. It will be housed in the Panther Health and Wellness Clinic and fall under the oversight of clinic director Sarah Jones, Davis said.
The local organization plans to first focus on responding to student's basic needs such as food and clothing. Then as it matures, Bright Futures will begin to focus on meeting student's social and emotional needs by setting up a mentoring program. Finally, the organization hopes to reach out to families and connect them with resources.
"The driving core is every child deserves a bright future," Davis said.
Circumstances in a child's life can make it difficult to focus and learn in school, she said. Students need someone to come alongside them and give them hope. Once their physical needs are met, and they have a sense of safety and belonging, then they are primed to learn, she said.
Davis pointed out that Bright Futures is a natural extension of Siloam Springs School District's new vision statement, "To ensure student success, the Siloam Springs School District utilizes innovative approaches, partnerships and resources to meet the individual needs of every student.
She explained that Bright Futures is an innovative program which relies on partnerships in the community to meet students' needs.
Counselors, principals and teachers will be able to post needs on the Bright Futures Siloam Springs Facebook page. A need could be something like a student at Northside Elementary School needs a pair of girls pants in size six. If a community member happens to have that item, or is at the store where they can pick it up, they can then bring it to the school. The goal is to have the need filled within 24 hours, Davis said. The school will have a system in place so that once someone responds, the post will be taken down.
Davis is hopeful that Bright Futures Siloam Springs will have 1,500 to 2,000 Facebook followers by the end of the year. People do not have to make a commitment to be a part the program. They can come in to quickly connect to fill a need without any future obligation, she said.
The school district has several support systems already in place. The adopters program allows local businesses to support schools at a building level, providing for needs such as new equipment. The parent teacher organization provides resources and support for teachers. Bright Futures will work alongside those organizations to fill individual student's specific needs, Davis said.
The school district will be announcing dates in May when Bright Futures ambassadors may tour the individual school buildings, meet with principals and counselors and learn about the needs, Davis said.
For more information visit the Bright Futures Siloam Springs Facebook page.
General News on 04/27/2016