Together

Community Schools Tumwater, & North Thurston Public Schools districts:In partnership with Tumwater School District and North Thurston Public Schools, TOGETHER! continued implementing the evidenced based Community Schools model to close the opportunity gap for students experiencing poverty, discrimination based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or other significant barriers. Community Schools pairs case management with tangible supports and systems change work to advance educational justice and improve graduation rates. Community Schools work is place-based; Community Schools managers operate Community Resource centers, as well as deliver large community-wide events to connect families and students to critical resources, reaching ~1,000 students and families annually.

Host HomesHost Homes is a proven approach providing safe, short-term housing for students aged 13-21 experiencing housing instability. Pairing community-based housing with youth-driven case management and wraparound supports, we intervene before youth experience chronic houselessness; help students pursue educational goals, develop and strengthen life skills; and bridge the gap to stable independent housing. Based on a national model program, we partner with Tumwater, North Thurston, and Olympia school districts, City of Lacey, City of Tumwater and others, this program works to prevent/break the cycle of chronic adult houselessness before it starts.

Community Engagement and Support:To help provide access to services for students and families furthest from equity, TOGETHER! provides fiscal agent services for Expanding Your Horizons (Thurston County), Discovering Opportunities in Technology for Kids (DOT4kids), as well as fiscally administered Rural Transportation project to expand transportation services into rural areas for low-income, elderly and/or persons with disabilities to improve their access to needed services.