Woodbury AVID students partner with Kids Club and SoWashco Cares after $25,000 state grant

South Washington County Schools trustees heard presentations from Woodbury High School AVID seniors, Kids Club staff and SoWashco Cares leaders on a student-led partnership funded by a Minnesota Department of Education innovation and service‑learning grant.

The district received “nearly $25,000,” Cheryl Jogger, community engagement coordinator and founder of SoWashco Cares, told the board, and “the funding provided by this grant has allowed our students to select, purchase, and donate items to the SoWashco Cares Winter Clothing Program, which has helped over 450 of our students.” The AVID students also produced a fundraising video and “raised over $5,000 for snacks,” Jogger said.

The program pairs AVID 11 and 12 students with Kids Club after‑school participants at Pine Hill, Bailey and Woodbury elementary schools. Amy Saldana of Kids Club described the effort as originating from an informal staff conversation after the pandemic, growing from 35 initial student volunteers to larger cohorts in subsequent years. Julie Onken, AVID coordinator at Woodbury High School, said AVID emphasizes college and career readiness alongside social‑emotional learning and service opportunities that give high school students mentoring roles.

Several AVID seniors addressed the board and described direct impacts. One senior, Tenzin, said a student in a wheelchair at Pine Hill was invited onto his football team and later “she scored a lot of touchdowns,” underlining the students’ sense that small acts can change how younger children see themselves. Student presenters described learning patience, leadership and how to run lessons; younger Kids Club participants who spoke said they enjoyed trying new foods and learning about community service.

Board members asked whether the model will expand to other high schools. Onken said Woodbury High School will continue the AVID‑Kids Club partnership; she did not commit the program’s expansion to East Ridge or Park High Schools but said expansion is under discussion and depends on transportation availability because many AVID 11–12 students drive to sites. Onken described the AVID 11–12 students’ volunteer requirement as one shift per trimester and estimated on‑site sessions of roughly one to two hours per visit.

Jogger and school staff said the grant funding provided a structure the partners were already building and allowed students to participate in selecting, packaging and distributing donations as part of service‑learning curriculum. When asked whether the grant is renewable, staff said the district does not expect the same grant to be available again but that program materials and processes are documented so the partnership can continue without additional state funding.

The presentation concluded with staff noting ancillary district supports — nutrition services, communications, TLS and finance — that helped implement food and clothing distributions and lesson coordination.

Looking ahead, staff said AVID students are a source of recruitment for Kids Club employment: one presenter said she had applied for summer work with Kids Club, and district staff noted the program can support students interested in returning to district employment.

No formal board action was taken on the presentation; it was an information item.