First day of school accents the year-round work of LINC's Caring Communities
“How’s everybody!” cheers LINC Caring Communities Coordinator Adrian Wilson in Grandview’s Meadowmere Elementary School.
“Good!” the chorus of LINC program children shout back.
“Welcome to the first day,” Wilson says. “We’re going to have a good year this year. We’re going to have fun. We’re going to do things . . .”
With Grandview and North Kansas City school districts opening Tuesday, they joined the Monday openings in the Kansas City, Hickman Mills, Center, Fort Osage school districts and Lee A. Tolbert Community Academy charter school, meaning that all of the more than 50 school-based LINC Caring Communities sites were back in classes.
The new school year means that LINC will be serving some 7,000 children and their families directly with before- and after-school programming, bringing a swell to the year-round work of LINC’s Caring Communities to help build stronger families and neighborhoods.
“We’ve got some new faces,” Wilson tells the Meadowmere children. “We’ll get to know each other. We’ve been prepping. We’ve been getting ready.”
Then Wilson calls for a show of hands.
“I’m looking for my leaders,” he says. “Show me your hands if you are a leader. Raise them high!”
Nearly every child is waving.
“Everybody look around,” Wilson says. “These are my young people that will help you if need help.”
He didn’t ask, but every one of the blue-shirt LINC staffers has made the same promise. And for LINC, that’s leadership in the community, being a trusted resource, rallying families, businesses and neighbors to help everyone grow and thrive.
That’s building stronger families together.
Here are some of the captured moments from LINC’s opening days.
Click on the images to enlarge the pictures.
