Low-income students are crucial to research, for they are often a vulnerable and frequently underserved demographic within the education system. These children deal with a variety of poverty-related issues that can hinder their ability to learn and their chances for a more fantastic future. For example, the likelihood of low-income students earning a bachelor’s degree is significantly lower than their more affluent counterparts (Roksa & Kinsley, 2019, p.1). To achieve educational fairness and guarantee equal opportunities for every child’s success, meeting the needs of low-income students is essential.

Communities in Schools Greater King County works to give children the tools they need to succeed in life and continue their education. The group, founded in NYC, originally aimed to bring community resources into public schools. Communities In School began operating in Washington in 1991 due to concerns of well-known companies such as Cosco and Boeing. The group is now functioning in 26 different school districts around the state. In 1994, the Renton community and a family liaison program were crucial in founding Communities In Schools of Renton locally (Root-Wiley, in press). The group has a long history of assisting kids who are in danger by collaborating with local partners and schools. Its goal is to provide pupils with a sense of belonging and support so they may succeed in school and life. Their goal is to assist students in succeeding by removing obstacles to education and providing them with the necessary tools and assistance.

Communities in School Greater King County primarily serves students who encounter obstacles throughout their academic journey. Some obstacles include students in danger of dropping out of school, low income, and other challenges. Their site consists of a page that states the specific schools that they serve, including Issaquah Middle School, Ella Baker Elementary School, Kamiakin Middle School, etc. (Root-Wiley, in press). Clicking on these schools within their site also provides lead site coordinators. These include 39 schools across the Renton, Tukwila, Lake Washington, Issaquah, and Seattle school districts.

In order to assist children, the organization provides a variety of services and programs, such as tutoring, counseling, and access to necessities such as tutoring, mentorship, and after-school activities like food, clothes, and school supplies. They also collaborate closely with instructors to meet every student’s unique requirements. These services are categorized on their site into tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3. Tier 1 focuses on general resources that enhance the school environment, tier 2 emphasizes small group work to help students overcome challenges, and tier 3 provides 1-on-1 support (Root-Wiley, in press).

Communities in Schools Greater King County should consider extending their outreach efforts in order to reach more students with low income. To make sure they can satisfy their rising needs for help, this can mean working with more community partners, using media/advertisements to publicize their services, and boosting finances for their programs. They could also help high schools and colleges instead of solely elementary and middle schools.

There were no red flags that I could recognize while analyzing this organization. The organization’s website provided easy access to information regarding their work and success. They provided multiple success stories, financial transparency statistics, schools they provide for, mission statements, and members/contact information on each school they support. There are also many recent events occurring on their site and news stories posted on the organization’s success.

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Item Credit: Image: Grey, A. (2018). A twenty-four year old woman counting dollar bills. https://unsplash.com/. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/focus-photography-of-person-counting-dollar-banknotes--8a5eJ1-mmQ. Text: Roksa, J., & Kinsley, P. (2019). The Role of Family Support in Facilitating Academic Success of Low-Income Students. Research in Higher Education, 60(4), 415–436. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-018-9517-z Root-Wiley, M. (n.d.). Communities in Schools of Greater King County. Communities In Schools of Greater King County. https://gkc.ciswa.org/