When Minerva Manriquez first came to Lipscomb Elementary, she was a fourth-grader who couldn’t speak a word of English.
As an adult, Manriquez has returned to Lipscomb as the campus manager for a new program helping students overcome the same barriers she faced.
She is a volunteer for Communities In Schools, an on-campus program for at-risk students that works to keep children in school.
The program works with students on a one-to-one basis and with their families in an effort to prevent crises and offer support. The program includes academic tutoring, pre-employment skills training, job placements, substance abuse counseling and agency referral with follow-up assistance.
CIS will also try to address specific problems that Lipscomb students face, such as learning to speak English, Manriquez says.
Manriquez is a CIS success story. She participated in the program at North Dallas High School.
“I received a helping hand from Communities in Schools, so when I graduated I wanted to help somebody else. I know what it is like to be a student who doesn’t speak the language.”
The Lipscomb program will address issues such as gangs, violence and crime, says Kristen Castellanos, the CIS volunteer coordinator. The program also is designed to help students with health, academic and self-esteem problems.
A former Lipscomb principal invited CIS into the school last year. The new principal, Linda Breckenridge, says the program is making an impact.
“Communities in Schools gives our kids an opportunity to make a connection with an adult,” Breckenridge says.
“I’ve already seen a difference in the kids. The relationships that children develop with an adult cause them to learn more because they feel better about themselves.”
Volunteers are needed to tutor or mentor at Lipscomb for the CIS program, which is offered to students throughout the school day and during the summer, Castellanos says. Each volunteer is required to commit one hour weekly to the program.
Additional volunteers are needed to assist CIS staff with special events or as speakers. For information about volunteering, contact Kristen Castellanos at 827-0955.
