Exemplary

"In my 25 years as an educator, Kids Hope is by far the best mentoring program that I have been connected with. 

We have received our 2009-2010 Preliminary TAKS scores. Official scores/campus ratings will be made public in the fall. Our scores show that we will be EXEMPLARY for the 3rd year in a row!!!!!

We are so excited! Please know that YOU played a huge part in this, whether you were a prayer partner [or] mentor."

Five years ago, when their Kids Hope USA partnership launched, this school would have been described as anything but "exemplary." It was the lowest income, title one school in the district, and at its best, had achieved an acceptable rating.

Not because it didn't have an amazing, caring staff. They did!

Nor because the children lacked the potential to succeed; nobody believed that.

Simply put, the school needed the one resource the church was uniquely equipped to provide: loving, faithful relationships for their most at-risk kids.

At a critical time in the children's lives, the church provided a special mentor who faithfully showed up every week helping the children feel loved, valued, and capable of learning. Someone whose friendship made them feel, well, exemplary.

Drew Peirce is the Vice President of Partnerships at the KIDS HOPE USA National Office and a mentor to Dakota, the greatest third-grader in Michigan.