Op-Ed: Educational opportunities need our support

In 2017, Innovia Foundation supported the community’s vision that every third-grader in the Coeur d’Alene School District would have a deep love for reading and be able to read at grade level. Prior to the pandemic, 85% of the district’s students met that bold vision with community-wide partnerships, investment and support.

Now, imagine with me for a moment what it would look like if our entire community came together around the goal that every student, regardless of their economic circumstances or social standing, had the opportunity and support to graduate from high school and attend the college or pursue the career of their choice. Every child.

Education plays a pivotal role in the success of individuals, families and our community. It prepares young people for life, work and citizenship. Education also ensures a community is economically stronger, healthier and safer with greater civic engagement.

The current pandemic, however, has laid bare the educational inequities that exist for many in our community. How do students learn online without access to quality internet? How many children are home alone because their parent or guardian is at work or asleep after working all night and can’t afford child care? What if a good day for a family is one where the electricity and the water are both on at the same time?

More affluent students in our region have had greater ease pivoting to digital and remote learning, while underserved students have had a difficult time accessing supported learning environments, thus widening the opportunity gap among our youth. Along with virtual learning deficits, these students are not able to access health care, behavioral health services, or critical nutrition in the same way or at the same frequency as they would during an in-person school day. This current reality pushes some students even further back from the starting line, impacting overall achievement and widening the gap for young people to pursue future dreams and opportunities.

At a time when many families are struggling to weather the pandemic, it has become glaringly apparent that our schools are a key resource in providing vital supports students need: facilitating digital learning, delivering meals and essential supplies to students, and connecting with vulnerable populations on a daily basis. With very little time to prepare, our schools and teachers have effectively pivoted to create virtual curriculum and engage students through online platforms. If we have learned anything at all about the past year, it should be that these connections matter and our kids need school now more than ever before.

Every child deserves the opportunity to achieve educational success. As a community, we should come together to harness the power and passion of our community to ensure that all students graduate high school prepared and supported so they can pursue their goals and dreams. The investment we make in K-12 education now will support individuals, families and our community far into the future.

We invite you to join us in giving your time, talents and resources to make our community a better place. Here are some ways you can help:

Volunteer to read with a student or purchase a book for an emerging reader. Learning does not just help a child succeed — it helps everyone around them succeed.

Mentor a student or provide funding to an extracurricular experience that keeps students connected to their peers and interested in learning. Take time to ask how a student is doing during this unprecedented moment in history.

Vote. Your voice matters. Support a strong public education system committed to preparing our students for tomorrow.

The path to success for all students starts with a community committed to ensuring that every child has the tools and support they need to fully develop their gifts and talents, to graduate from high school, and to pursue their college and career dreams. The path to success starts with us.

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Shelly O’Quinn is the CEO for the Innovia Foundation.