School district re-evaluating school program at Crosswalk youth shelter
For Release: March 19, 2007
Contact: Marilee Roloff at 509.624.2378
Spokane, Wash.—In late February, officials at Spokane Public Schools and Volunteers of America, the nonprofit that runs the Crosswalk emergency youth shelter, learned that Crosswalk's school program is out of compliance with portions of the No Child Left Behind legislation that restrict educational services offered at shelters.
District and Crosswalk leaders are meeting to develop a plan that both satisfies the federal law and meets the educational needs of the kids involved. Spokane Public Schools is committed to working with Crosswalk to help high-risk and homeless young people access educational opportunities. While Crosswalk’s school may change its operations, the shelter and other Crosswalk programs are not closing and will continue to operate as usual, providing free shelter and services to nearly 1,000 youth annually.
The school has been in operation for more than 20 years. Degrees are granted by Havermale High School. Nearly 70 students currently attend school at Crosswalk. Some are homeless and living in the Crosswalk shelter, but most are high-risk teens that come to the school seeking an alternative to the traditional classroom. They receive not only personalized academic attention but can also take advantage of the comprehensive services available at Crosswalk.
“Getting an education is not easy for kids whose lives have been disrupted by family conflict, mental health issues, or homelessness. The beauty of coming here is that kids get an education but they can also get a hot meal, counseling and connections to healthcare, treatment, and childcare,” says Marilee Roloff, founder of Crosswalk and current CEO of Volunteers of America of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.
“For many of these kids, those extras make the difference between graduating or dropping out. We’re here to help kids turn their lives around and we will do whatever is needed to make sure education remains a piece of that puzzle.”
Founded in 1985, Crosswalk is an emergency shelter, a school drop-out prevention and retrieval program, and a group of lifesaving and life-changing programs for teens.Crosswalk restores hope and encourages personal responsibility among homeless and at-risk youth by providing: family reconciliation services; essentials like clothing, showers and personal hygiene products; employment-readiness program and job-placement assistance; independent living training including life-skills and self-sufficiency classes; attachment and bonding classes for young mothers and fathers; an onsite Early Head Start program; referrals to medical and mental-health care; a school drop-out prevention program; access to substance-abuse treatment and prevention programs; tutoring and enrichment activities; college scholarship opportunities (donor funded); transportation; and access to our transitional housing programs.
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