Parenting is a juggling act. It requires balancing the needs of children, household responsibilities, relationships, work, and your hopes and dreams all at once. It can be especially tricky if there are barriers and roadblocks.

Sunnycrest Elementary School is in the Federal Way School District near Appian Way Apartments in Kent. Many students in the community attend the school. For years, to varying degrees of success, they have attempted to engage parents and students at Appian Way with family-focused events, coffee with the principal, and international nights. Despite their best efforts, parents couldn’t always attend. Between work schedules, transportation issues, and other barriers, there were just too many responsibilities that needed to be prioritized.

Looking for ways to overcome these barriers, Sunnycrest administrators met with Mercy Housing Northwest and devised a plan to host more school-focused events at Appian Way. Teachers, administrators, and those requiring special training would be brought to Appian Way, where sessions would be held in multiple languages at the community center, to overcome barriers to fully participating in outreach events.

“It has been incredible to see our community room transform into a space where the school system and parents can meet,” said Delaney Wright, Resident Services Coordinator at Appian Way.

Community Centered Education

Almost instantly, parents responded positively and in large numbers. With the school coming to them, parents felt more comfortable discussing their challenges, attending workshops, seeking support services, and enrolling their children in extracurricular activities such as sports and theater.

School administrators have a better understanding of the barriers that stand in the way of families who call an affordable housing community home. They have observed higher attendance rates at events and increased involvement from parents and guardians. Using what they have learned from the community, including students and parents, they have adapted more rapidly to overcome potential challenges, such as the need for translation services.

This community connection and revolutionary approach to community-centered education define our Mercy Scholars Program. This unique program is dedicated to closing the opportunity gap and addressing economic challenges through onsite programming, services, and partnerships. This means that our work doesn’t end with school-sponsored engagement events. Resident Services Coordinators, such as Delaney, act as Youth in School Liaisons. They meet with parents and teachers, facilitate out-of-school activities, and help identify areas where students excel and areas where they fall behind.

With the success of these events, plans are underway to expand the program to middle and high school students. Appian Way Apartments has served as the epicenter of the community. Now, it’s more than just an affordable housing community. It is a space where neighbors, teachers, and others meet to invest positively in the next generation of leaders.