Communities In Schools of Lakewood to Celebrate Youth At Annual Breakfast

They’re going to celebrate the city’s champions.

Communities in Schools of Lakewood will hold its ninth annual Champions for Youth Breakfast on March 29, featuring an address by Daniel Cardinali, national president of CIS.

The event brings together Lakewood’s leaders, business owners, CISL donors and the general public to learn about the organization’s programs and ways to support local youth.

“It’s fun,” said Executive Director Dave O’Keefe. “You get to network with your friends – and meet new people.”

The event begins at 7 a.m. at the in Lakewood Towne Center. A minimum donation of $50 is requested. All funds raised support CISL After-School, Readiness to Learn and Champions Mentor programs, which provide assistance to families in the Clover Park School District.

“With increases in poverty, we have more kids at risk, so we take the little funds that we get and magnify those because of all of the volunteers and partnerships that we have,” O’Keefe said. “We can stretch a few dollars into a big impact on kids.”

Featured speaker Cardinali oversees the Communities in Schools network of nearly 200 CIS nonprofit affiliates in 14 states around the country.

“That’s a rare gift, too,” O’Keefe said, “to fly out from Washington, D.C.”

Local youth will also share their struggles and successes and provide an insider’s look at CISL programs. And local “champions for youth” will be recognized for their continued support of Lakewood’s young people. Among those scheduled to speak are a mentor-student pair from Harrison Preparatory School with a “dramatic turnaround story.”

CISL works closely with Lakewood’s Promise to ensure that the city’s young people reach their full potential. O’Keefe also mentioned a close partnership with Caring For Kids, which provides needy children in CPSD with clothing, food and other tools for success.

O’Keefe noted that there are site coordinators at five high-needs schools in Lakewood to manage programs and connect community resources with those schools.

“We need everyone to work together,” he said. “A focus is partnership – it’s about getting the community involved in our schools, and that’s what we’re trained to do.”

O’Keefe said that a five-year independent study has shown that Communities in Schools has the most effective program for increasing graduation rates. In the last nine years, the rate has risen 23 percent in CPSD.

“Our model has been rated with hundreds of other models, and it’s the most effective one,” he said. “And we have seen graduation rates rise dramatically in the Clover Park School District.”

To make reservations – corporate sponsorships and tables are available – or for more information, contact Christina Klas at 253-589-7489.