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Adopt-a-School


Helping youth form healthy habits that will benefit them physically, mentally and emotionally throughout their lives. That's the aim of the Adopt-a-School partnership between MeritCare and Roosevelt Elementary School. The first of its kind in Fargo, the program has served as a model for other Adopt-a-School relationships in elementary schools throughout the school district.

Through this partnership, MeritCare professionals connect with teachers and students on a variety of levels – from reading in the classrooms to providing wellness and safety programs to assisting with Roosevelt's annual spring Field Day and more. In all, the Adopt-a-School partnership touches the lives of every student at Roosevelt.

The development of the Adopt-a-School partnership is a direct result of the call for Fargo/Moorhead to be a Community of Promise during the Presidents' Summit for America's Future in 1997. MeritCare not only initiated action in response to the call, MeritCare remains committed to America's Promise: The Alliance For Youth through continued support of the Adopt-a-School partnership with Roosevelt Elementary School and other community benefit activities that build the character and competence of our youth.

Focus Areas:

  • Fifty associate volunteers gave 842 hours to the Adopt-a-School program in 2005.
  • Youth Mentoring – The centerpiece of the Adopt-A-School project is youth mentoring. MeritCare employees are paired with students who can benefit from a one-on-one, consistent relationship with an adult role model. In 2005, 19 MeritCare mentors gave a total of 527 volunteer hours.
  • Classroom Readers – MeritCare volunteers support Roosevelt teachers by visiting the classroom for half an hour once weekly, reading with groups of children or listening to the students read to them. In 2005, 12 classroom readers volunteered a total of 264 hours.
  • Wellness Programming - In FY 05, the wellness programming included the following activities:
    • Field Day - Nineteen associate volunteers donated 38 hours to organize and coach seven different physical activity stations for Roosevelt students.
    • In cooperation with the Roosevelt PTA, Parent Health Education Sessions were held at the annual Pancake Feed in February 2005. Additionally, blood pressure screenings were offered at no charge by nursing staff at the school carnival in March 2005. Over 100 students, family members and staff had their blood pressure checked and received heart health education.
    • In conjunction with the North Dakota Department of Health's "Booster Seat Safety Month," parents of Roosevelt kindergartners were given booster seat vouchers that could be redeemed for free booster seats from the F-M SAFE KIDS Coalition.
    • F-M SAFE KIDS representatives led a Bicycle Safety Rodeo. Bicycle helmets were sold to participants at a reduced rate and fitted at the event. Over 40 children took part in the rodeo and 27 helmets were provided.
  • Other FY 2005 Adopt-a-School activities included:
    • Career Day: MeritCare staff and students from Physical Therapy, Pathology, Nutrition Services and F-M Ambulance spent an afternoon sharing their passion for healthcare with the Roosevelt fifth and sixth graders. Using hands-on activities and demonstrations, these MeritCare professionals gave the students a taste of what "a day in the life" is like while stressing how the skills the students are learning in school each day (math, reading, etc.) are essential to success in health careers.
    • Summer Art: Over 75 neighborhood elementary age children had more than 400 art experiences during a four-week Summer Art Program at Roosevelt Elementary School. MeritCare provides funding for the teachers and supplies and the art students visit MeritCare on three occasions to share their work.
    • Choir Visits: The Roosevelt fourth, fifth and sixth grade choir performed their holiday program at MeritCare for patients and associates in December 2004.
    • Several Roosevelt families were able to attend Trollwood's performance of "Kiss Me, Kate" with tickets donated by MeritCare. The families chosen have children with hearing impairments and they were able to utilize the sign-language interpreter made available at one of the performances.