Spotlights
STARBASE IDAHO
In five-week sessions at the Gowen Field military base, you’ll find young students studying robotics, Newton’s laws of motion, computer-aided design (CAD), types of energy, and the structure of an atom, among other topics. Despite the rigor of the curriculum, these aren’t college or even high school interns. They’re elementary school students participating in the Department of Defense STARBASE Program.
STARBASE Idaho has been partnering with local school districts since 2018, providing innovative programming for low-income fifth graders. The free program serves 10 schools in Nampa, allowing kids hands-on experience in a range of STEM subjects.
“When kids come on base, it’s a different environment,” said Courtney Taylor, STARBASE Idaho director and a former Nampa School District teacher. “Everything we do is hands on, and we’re constantly busy doing experiments This can all be either cost or time prohibitive for teachers to do in their own classroom, but through this program kids are able to be engaged in STEM learning all day long.” (Continue)
GROCERY OUTLET
Grocery Outlet opened in Nampa in 2020. From the start, owners Danny and Shari Panasiuk made it clear that they wanted to be part of not only a thriving business but also their newly adopted community.
“We feel it’s important to go out into the community and really support them,” Shari said. “It’s in our budget to give a specific amount and we just absolutely love doing it, especially for the kids. It’s super-important.”
That giving amounts to donations of pantry staples such as peanut butter, canned goods, and mac and cheese, as well as a variety of fresh foods. Recently, they donated two cases of bananas and mandarin oranges for students taking standardized ACCESS testing at Central Elementary.
In addition, the store participates in a corporate-wide fundraiser called Independence from Hunger, where 100 percent of donations from customers are shared with a community partner. For Grocery Outlet, that partner is the NSD Family and Community Resource Centers. This past year, the program fundraised more than 150 bags of food to distribute as well as a check for $1,000.
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IDAHO CHAPTER OF THE IRON ORDER
Don’t let the leather vests, tattoos and three-piece biker patches fool you. These guys have a soft spot in their hearts for kids.
The Idaho chapter of the Iron Order Motorcycle Club has been partnering with the Nampa School District for about four years. The club is a brotherhood, and its charter includes a directive to participate in charity events for the good of their communities. Iron Order members come from all walks of life, including former military, lawyers, doctors and more. What they have in common is a love of motorcycles and a desire to give back in a meaningful way.
“Some of us grew up with parents who had no money, no jobs,” said member Jake Jacoby. “We were brought into the world on a more sour note, so we always like to give to those who definitely have a need. And we like doing stuff for the kids.” (Continue)
GO TEAM IDAHO THERAPY DOGS
Happiness can be elusive, but Charlie Brown fans know that it can also be as simple as a warm puppy.
That's key to the mission of Go team Idaho Therapy Dogs, a group of 92 committed volunteer handlers and 98 specially trained canines who visit schools and other organizations to provide a unique connection.
"Dogs comfort humans. It's as simple as that," said Jo Egbert, Go Team Idaho coordinator. "They bring their blood pressure down and they comfort them when they're grieving. When someone's sick they can put their hands on a dog and feel better. I've seen it almost every time I'm at an event. I call them magic moments – that moment when you see your dog do their thing."
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The Nampa Stormwater Education Program
A safe, clean water source is vital to our health and lifestyle. Understanding how our water systems work, and how to safeguard those resources, is key to a successful, thriving community. That’s why the City of Nampa has been partnering with the Nampa School District for more than a decade to educate students and the broader community on our most important water quality issues.
The partnership focuses on promoting the awareness and importance of clean waterways, with an emphasis on pollution control. The city provides funding for water quality-related educational materials for classroom use, teacher stipends, and technical resources. They also team up with the district and community organizations to host educational events throughout the year. (Continue)
2C Kids Succeed
2C Kids Succeed is dedicated to helping kids, well, succeed. Idaho ranks ahead of much of the country for the number of children experiencing four or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs are traumatic events in a child’s life that have a lasting effect well into adulthood and can include things like abuse, neglect, divorce, or mental health and substance abuse issues.
In 2019, a group of community advocates decided that these risk factors don’t have to be predictive factors and 2C Kids Succeed was born. The initiative works to reduce the negative effects of ACEs while also looking for impactful ways to support and provide hope for children and families in our community. (Continue)
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge
Since 1909, Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge has managed habitat for a wide variety of mammals, birds and other animals that call the Lake Lowell oasis home. Now U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees who work at the refuge are expanding that care to the Nampa School District's Family and Community Resource Centers. FCRCs foster student success by eliminating the barriers that prevent optimal learning and connecting families with community resources.
Refuge employees teamed up with the Treasure Valley Urban Conservation Partnership (TVUCP) and volunteers from the Friends of Deer Flat Wildlife Refuge to provide $25,000 to the district's five FCRCs. The group's efforts were recently acknowledged with a New Partner award from the Nampa School District. (Continue)
CapEd Credit Union
Education has always been at the heart of CapEd Credit Union’s mission. The federal credit union was formed by 13 educators in 1936 to support teachers and promote quality education, and has stayed true to that mission ever since.
CapEd regularly gives back to local schools through grants, sponsorships, donations, and volunteering. Idaho teachers can apply for a grant from the Idaho CapEd Foundation to support a variety of classroom projects, or list projects through the We Love Teachers program (in partnership with DonorsChoose).
In addition, the community is encouraged to participate in CapEd’s Doodle Folder Program by coloring and placing their personal spin on the classic Pee-Chee style folder to receive a $25 gift code that can be applied to an educator’s project listed on weloveteachers.org. (Continue)
Treasure Valley Safe Routes to School
Treasure Valley Safe Routes to School focuses on educating and encouraging kids across the Treasure Valley to walk and bike to school. The goal is to promote a healthy lifestyle while also reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, and enhancing the quality of life in our communities.
By partnering with schools and local agencies that build and maintain streets and sidewalks, organizers hope to ensure that all students have the same opportunities to walk and bike in their neighborhoods.
“We partner with NSD because you care about your students’ and community’s safety,” said Alex Hackett, VRT’s Canyon County coordinator. “This partnership also allows for learning and exercise opportunities for students in a fun and interactive experience.” (Continue)
Crossroads Community Church
Crossroads Community Church believes the best way to strengthen the community is by supporting its students and families. So, for the past several years they’ve made it a priority to form strong relationships with the schools closest to the church. These include Columbia High School, East Valley Middle School, Greenhurst Elementary, Park Ridge Elementary, and Endeavor Elementary.Their robust outreach efforts began about 15 years ago with the donation of backpacks full of school supplies collected by members of the congregation.
“Park Ridge was right in our backyard,” said Michele Powell, Crossroads’ school partnership liaison. “We’d host a fun event complete with bounce houses, and the kids would take home a backpack. (Continue)
Nampa Public Library
The Nampa Public Library has been writing the book on community partnerships for decades. The library partners with Nampa schools to provide materials, programs, and spaces to inform, enrich, and support the community.
Each year they provide an informative library booth at Family Nights, Literacy Nights, and Back to School Nights across the district. Their facility also is a popular field trip destination, as well as a fertile learning ground for student interns.
“We partner with the NSD because of their importance in the community supporting and educating students and their families, and the district’s willingness to encourage literacy and library use." (Continue)
Foster Grandparents
Across the district, senior citizens are forging relationships with students in Nampa elementary schools to help keep them engaged and learning. Foster Grandparent volunteers mentor and tutor kids, providing dependable, encouraging support in the classroom.
“One-on-one time is so vital in kindergarten and being the only teacher, I can’t provide that for everyone,” said one district teacher. “So having another adult in the classroom makes everything possible.”
Foster Grandparents primarily focus on helping with reading and literacy skills, although volunteers also are allowed to follow their passions in other subjects, such as math and science. To ensure the Grandparents form meaningful connections with students, they must commit to five hours over at least two days per week; some work up to 40 hours per week. (Continue)
Boys and Girls Club
Boys and Girls Club programming fills the gap between home and school for thousands of local kids through the age of 18, serving on average more than 550 kids per day. Membership is just $25 per year and is open to all students, regardless of income.In Nampa, the program is offered not only at the main site on Stampede Drive but also at two elementary schools – Iowa and Willow Creek. At both these sites, even the nominal annual fee is waived thanks to funding from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program.
The longstanding partnership between the District and the Club helps kids succeed in school and in life as they learn to grow and thrive in a supervised, sustainable, and safe environment. (Continue)
The Mentoring Network
The Mentoring Network provides school-based mentoring with a mission to improve life outcomes for vulnerable children by building one-on-one lifelong relationships.
The Nampa School District understands what a game changer having a mentor is for a child. That one (or more) caring adult who can show up, listen, and care makes a difference in the learning arena – children’s grades, attendance and behaviors improve as they become more present, ready, and willing to learn. The kids who stay with a mentor have a high school graduation rate of 99 percent, and 99 percent of them stay out of the juvenile justice system. The district and schools have been great supporters for the service The Mentoring Network provides at no charge. One hour a week truly transforms lives (for kids and adults). (Continue)