Close to the hearts of so many Costco employees are the young people who do not have the basic support most take for granted: a caring adult who can help them find their way, help with homework so they don’t fall behind, basic health and dental care. Imagine not growing up with this support and ask yourself where you’d be today. Would you have the job you have? Would you have even made it through school?

The bottom line is there are far too many young people who, without the help of organizations like Communities In Schools, don’t stand a fighting chance for success. As a community we owe them that chance. When so many enter adulthood, enter the job market without the skills, attitudes and ethics necessary to succeed, we all lose.

Seventeen years ago, Costco funded the start-up Communities In Schools in Washington. As business people we were impressed with their smart use of resources – brokering existing social services into the schools and recruiting community volunteers to be mentors and tutors. Their model is simple: use what’s already there and allow them to be more effective by bringing them into the school. Simple, effective and highly efficient. ...read more.

Tyee Park Elementary School staff, Communities In Schools of Lakewood (CISL) and Clover Park High School student volunteers formed a winning combination this school year in one of the nine after-school programs coordinated by CISL.

At a recent awards ceremony, Tyee Park Fifth grade teacher, Carricia Simpson (left), honored Olga Prado, CPHS student, for her outstanding commitment as a high school volunteer. Tyee Park’s Extended Day Learning Opportunity Program involves four staff members and five student volunteers. The volunteers were recruited and trained in the vision and goals of the program curriculum by CISL and Tyee Park staff....read more