THEY ARE GETTING THE KIDS TO SCHOOL. JASON: THANK YOU. THE GOAL OF C.A.S.T. THIS TO BRING COMMUNITY RESOURCES DIRECTLY TO SCHOOLS. JOINING ME NOW IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PUTNAM CITY SCHOOLS AND DIANE BRYANT, THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH DIRECTOR. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. JASON: TELL US EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS. >> IT IS A NEW PROGRAM FUNDED THROUGH A GRANT FROM THE KIRKPATRICK FOUNDATION, WHICH WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE. IT IS BRINGING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER WITH THE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES, PROVIDING DIFFERENT NEEDS THAT ARE BENEFICIAL FOR THE SCHOOLS AND PARTNERING COMMUNITIES WITH THE SCHOOLS. JASON: LET’S TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THIS IS GOVERNED BY A STEERING COMMITTEE. WHAT KIND OF LEADERS ARE ON THAT COMMITTEE? >> IT IS COMMUNITY LEADERS, SO WE ARE BRINGING IN ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES, GROUPS, CHURCHES TO DIRECTLY PROVIDE RESOURCES TO THE SCHOOLS AND IT COULD LOOK LIKE HYGIENE KITS, FOOD. WE ARE DOING THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS FOOD BOXES FOR THE STUDENTS. GIFT CARDS FOR TEACHERS. IT CAN LIKE ALL KINDS OF THINGS, BUT WE ARE -- WE HAVE THREE COMMUNITY RELATIONS LIAISONS THAT WORK IN ALL THREE THEATER PATTERNS FOR NORTH, ORIGINAL AND PUTNAM CITY WEST, AND IT IS OUR JOB TO GO AND PARTNER THESE ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE SCHOOLS. JASON: ALEX, REACHING OUT TO YOU NOW, WHAT KIND OF RESOURCES ARE NEEDED AND HOW MUCH ARE THEY NEEDED? >> THEY ARE VERY NEEDED. SO C.A.S.T. REALLY WAS CREATED OUT OF THE MISSION OF THE FOUNDATION, WHICH IS TO ENHANCE AND ENRICH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS IN THE DISTRICT, SO C.A.S.T. WAS FORMED TO PUT BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN CLASSROOMS TO ASK WHAT IS NEEDED. LIKE DI’ANNE SAID, THAT CAN RANGE FROM BLANKETS TO HEATERS IF THE POWER HAS GONE OUT IN AN APARTMENT OR HOUSE. SO NOT ALL THE ASSISTANCES FINANCIAL. THE OTHER COOL THING ABOUT THE PUTNAM DISTRICT IS WE HAVE THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY, THAT NEED TO POUR INTO OUR COMMUNITY, SO C.A.S.T. HAS CREATED THE PIPELINE FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO CONNECT THEM TO THE SCHOOLS FOR THAT. SO WE HAVE SEEN, YEAR-OVER-YEAR, JUST AN INCREASE IN THE NEED FOR THOSE RESOURCES, BOTH ON A FINANCIAL FRONT BUT ALSO JUST, YOU KNOW, WITH THANKSGIVING DINNERS, CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THERE ARE A LOT OF GAPS THAT NEED TO BE FILLED THAT ARE NECESSARILY SPECIFIC TO EDUCATION BUT ENHANCE THAT EDUCATION JOURNEY FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. JASON: A LOT OF THAT STUFF IS TAKEN FOR GRANTED. GOOD TO SEE THE COMMUNITY STEPPING UP. MENTORSHIP IS ALSO AVAILABLE. TALK ABOUT THAT AND THE PUSH FOR MENTORSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY. >> THROUGH THE C.A.S.T. PROGRAM, THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS LIAISONS HAVE MET WITH SUPPOSE AND TEACHERS -- HAVE MET WITH PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS AND HAVE FOUND THAT ONE OF THE TOP NEEDS IS MENTORS. THE SCHOOLS ARE LOOKING FOR MENTORS TO COME IN AS A RELATIONAL MENTORSHIP. WHAT WE DID IS DEVELOPED A TASK FORCE AND IT INCLUDES PRINCIPLES, THE DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, TYRIA KREG, WHO HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE PILOT PROGRAM. WE HAVE STARTED A PILOT PROGRAM IN THREE OF OUR DISTRICT SCHOOLS. WE ARE LOOKING FOR MENTORS. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH PARADIGM SHIFT. THEY FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORSHIP AND THEY ARE GOING TO HELP ADMINISTRATE THE PROGRAM AND TRAIN THE MENTORS, AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED BECAUSE THERE ARE 70 STUDENTS THAT NEED THAT BOND. THEY NEED THAT POSITIVE BOND AND THEY NEED HELP, SO WE ARE LOOKING TO BRING IN CRPORATIONS, BUSINESSES, INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD LOVE TO COME IN AND BE MENTORS. JASON: ALL YOU NEED IS THAT ONE PERSON TO BELIEVE IN YOU. THAT CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY ABOUT THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM, ALYX? >> I AM EXCITED ABOUT IT. WE ARE DOING THREE SCHOOLS THIS- YEAR AND ARE HOPING TO DO MORE.- THAT CAME DIRECTLY OUT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH PRINCIPALS ABOUT WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO SEE, WHICH IS PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE THEM DOING JOBS THEY WANT TO DO, SO I THINK THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM WILL BE CRITICAL IN ALIGNING THOSE PIECES AND INSTILLING HOPE IN STUDENTS. THERE ARE DIFFERENT PATHS IN LIFE AND YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. YOU MIGHT WANT TO BE A FIREFIGHTER. LET’S CONNECT YOU TO A FIREFIGHTER. >> ABSOLUTELY. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A MENTOR OR MAKE A DONATION TO C.A.S.T. OR THE FOUNDATION, CONTACT THE FOUNDATION. GIVE THEM A CALL, LOOK AT THEIR WEBSITE AT PCF4KIDS.ORG. JASON: ONE MORE TIME IN CASE THEY WERE NOT PAYING ATTENTION. >> PCF4KIDS.ORG OR THEY MAY CALL DIRECTLY. JASON: TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT YOU ARE HEARING FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THE PEOPLE THIS PROGRAM IS HELPING. WHAT ARE THEY TELLING YOU IN TERMS OF FEEDBACK? >> IT IS AMAZING. SUNDAY EVENING, I ATTENDED A BACK-TO-SCHOOL BARBECUE AT WILL ROGERS ELEMENTARY. HARVEST HILLS BAPTIST CHURCH PUT THIS ON FOR THE SCHOOL. WHEN I WAS THERE, SO MANY PARENTS WERE EXCITED ABOUT THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL EVENT AND THEY WERE THANKFUL THAT AN ORGANIZATION CAME IN AND PUT TOGETHER THIS BARBECUE. THEY WERE VERY THANKFUL. SONIC PROVIDED GIFT CARDS TO TEACHERS AS A MORALE-BOOSTING EVENT FOR THEM JUST BECAUSE THE LAST FOR YEARS, AS WE KNOW, HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFICULT WITH COVID -- LAST FEW YEARS, AS WE KNOW, HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFICULT WITH COVID. THE FEEDBACK HAS BEEN AMAZING AND PARENTS ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROGRAM. A LOT OF THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS YEAR. JASON: A LOT OF GOOD THINGS GOING ON. ABSOLUTELY. ALYX, DI’ANNE, THANK YOU. IF PEOPLE WANT TO CONTRIBUTE, OR DO THEY GO? >> PCF4KIDS.ORG. JASON: THA