LEAD Exchange Holds First Market of the School Year to Meet the Needs of Families
The end of August marked the new school year’s first LEAD Exchange shopping day for families at LEAD Neely’s Bend. The LEAD Exchange is an attendance initiative designed to support families with access to necessities and encourage students to attend school each and every day.
How does it work? In exchange for attending school, students receive bucks to spend at the LEAD Exchange store, which has household items available for purchase, like food, toiletries, and other essentials. Each day at school equals $5.00 in bucks to spend at the store during the monthly shopping window.
“I appreciate the opportunity to distinguish ourselves from other charter schools in our community and to show gratitude to our families for choosing LEAD every day.”
–Caleb Corlew, Family Engagement Associate, LEAD Public Schools
Over 20 LEAD Neely’s Bend families signed up to shop on this year’s first shopping day. Every parent had a positive experience, which was reflected in the surveys they completed at the end of their shopping slot. We also received feedback regarding items they would like to see when the store opens next time.
“The LEAD Exchange was a heartwarming experience!” said Cierra Tutton, family and community engagement coordinator at LEAD. “I saw so many happy families who thanked us throughout their shopping experience and expressed how this is such an awesome thing that LEAD offers. I hope things like The LEAD Exchange helps to take a load off for some of the everyday expenses. Our families truly matter here, and we work every day to show them that they do!”
This school year, we plan to replicate these efforts at our other LEAD campuses and open up LEAD Exchange stores across the network – because attendance at school is critical to our mission of ensuring each of our students are prepared for their futures.
“The presence of our scholars in school is essential for their learning!” said Dr. Ricki Gibbs, LEAD’s head of elementary schools who modeled the LEAD Exchange after a similar program at a school where he previously served as principal. “Simply put, our scholars cannot master grade-level material if they are not in school. The LEAD Exchange provides additional encouragement for both students and parents to prioritize daily attendance. We are confident that when our scholars attend school regularly, the dedicated educators within our network will guarantee their achievement, meeting or surpassing grade-level expectations.”
Click here to learn more about innovative initiatives at LEAD Public Schools – and how you can support!
