10/08/2026
Supporting Students Beyond the Classroom: How Student Support Programs Make a Difference
Student success is about more than what happens inside the classroom. Across Eagle Point School District 9, Student Support Programs work every day to remove barriers, strengthen safety, build connections, and help students succeed.
Through prevention, intervention, mentoring, and coordinated support, the Student Support Programs team connects students and families with schools, community organizations, and resources that can make a meaningful difference. Their work takes many forms, but the goal remains the same: helping students feel supported, connected, and ready to learn.
One important responsibility of Student Support Programs is supporting students and families through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
Students experiencing housing instability can face challenges that make attending and succeeding in school more difficult. Under McKinney-Vento, eligible students who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence have important educational rights and protections.
EPSD9 works to identify and support these students, helping ensure they can enroll in school and access educational services even when they lack documents normally required for enrollment or are not living with a parent or legal guardian. When appropriate, the district also works to help students remain in their school of origin, providing greater stability during an already challenging time.
By helping remove these barriers, Student Support Programs help ensure that a student's housing situation does not stand in the way of an education.
“A lot of the influential work in education happens quietly, behind the scenes, and may never be seen by most people. It’s the home visit after hours to a family, finding transportation, locating a resource, checking in with a student, or bringing the right people together at the right time. Those individual moments may seem small, but for a student or family navigating a challenging time, they can have a tremendous impact. At the end of the day, if the work we do helps change the trajectory of even one student’s life, that’s a win, and that alone makes the work worth doing.” Says Chris Valavala, Supervisor of Student Support Programs.
Student Support Programs also give students opportunities to make a positive difference in their community through Project G.R.A.C.E., Graffiti Removal Achieving Community Empowerment.
The program helps students learn more about concerns within their community while working alongside neighborhood organizations to remove graffiti. Along the way, students receive mentoring, develop leadership skills, build positive peer relationships, and experience firsthand what it means to take pride in their community.
Project G.R.A.C.E. turns service into an opportunity for growth, connection, and empowerment.
This October, Student Support Programs are also putting a fun spin on one of the most important building blocks of student success: regular school attendance.
Through the October Attendance Challenge, EPSD9 has partnered with Cascade Community Pool to celebrate students who attend school every day during the week. Each qualifying student receives an entry into a weekly drawing, with one student from each grade level at each school randomly selected as a winner.
Each winner receives a swim pass to Cascade Community Pool in White City along with an envelope of goodies. Thanks to the generosity of Cascade Community Pool, 500 swim passes were donated to support EPSD9 students.
Best of all, there is a fresh start each week, giving every student another opportunity to participate.
“We’re fortunate to live in a community where people genuinely want to help our kids. When a need comes up, we continually see staff, businesses, agencies, nonprofits, community members, and even neighboring school districts ask, ‘What can we do?’ Our role is often to help connect that generosity with the students and families who can benefit from it. That kind of collaboration is something our entire community can be proud of.” Says Chris Valavala, Supervisor of Student Support Programs.
Whether they are helping a family navigate housing instability, mentoring students through community service, encouraging strong attendance, or connecting families with needed resources, Student Support Programs are an important part of the network of people working behind the scenes to help EPSD9 students thrive.
Their work is a reminder that supporting students means looking at the whole child and working together to make sure every student has the opportunity to show up, feel connected, and succeed.
The work doesn't stop there. Look for more from Student Support Programs as we move into the holiday season. Each year, the team helps compile and distribute turkey baskets for EPSD9 families in need, bringing together resources and community support to help make the holidays a little brighter.
Whether they are helping a family navigate housing instability, mentoring students through community service, encouraging strong attendance, or helping families during the holidays, Student Support Programs are an important part of the network of people working behind the scenes to help EPSD9 students and families thrive.
It is another example of the Power of WE in action: schools, families, and community partners working together to make sure our students have the support they need to succeed.
