Check & Connect Program

The Check & Connect Program is an evidence-based student engagement intervention program. The program will work with students in Middle and High School (12-18 year old's) who are disengaged with school, and who are at risk of becoming truant. The goal of the program is to engage students and parents in an effort to improve school attendance, to empower students to recognize their abilities and strengths, to collaborate with staff and school, and to address student's emotional and intellectual needs about school in order to improve school outcomes. This program is a multi-pronged approach to improve relationship building, problem solving, and capacity building of students by utilizing mentors and family engagement. Staff will work to identify barriers to attendance as well as identifying risk and protector factors.

Major components of the program include:

• A mentor who will work with the student and their family throughout the program.
• Regular checks with the students, utilizing information on students' school adjustment, behavior, and education progress to help develop social skills that will assist the student in goal-setting for the future.
• Timely interventions to re-establish and maintain students' connection to school and learning, and to enhance social and academic competencies.
• Engaging with the families, striving to foster active participation in their child's education. The program will facilitate communication between the student, parents, teachers, administrators, and program staff.

A referral to the Check & Connect Program will be made by the school once they identified a student as needing support with his/her attendance. Services will be equitable and responsive to the student's needs. Once a referral is made, program staff will contact the family within 24 hours.