Community Cares

In a partnership formed in 2025, my office partnered with Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center to launch Community Cares in Methacton School District. This is a new student-led program that brings together high school student leaders and middle school students through peer mentorship. During the program, 11th and 12th grade mentors are trained by community partners on topics such as internet safety, diversity and inclusion, healthy relationships and the importance of being an ‘upstander.’ The high schoolers then teach those same lessons monthly to 6th and 7th grade students.  

After a successful first year of building a strong foundation in Arcola Intermediate School and Skyview Upper Elementary School, we are looking forward to the continued growth of this program in the years ahead.  

The Community Cares program at its core focuses on building character, strengthening relationships, and teaching essential life skills such as conflict resolution and active listening. By placing high school students at the front of the classroom, the model increases engagement and creates space for honest, peer-driven dialogue within small groups of middle school students. The program helps normalize conversations that are often difficult to start, while reinforcing respect, awareness, and personal responsibility. The approach not only delivers information, but also shapes school culture by empowering students to model safe and supportive behavior.

A celebration was hosted at Arcola Intermediate School on April 7, 2026, to recognize the impact of the program and celebrate the milestone, bringing together students, families, community partners, my staff and staff from Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center. Methacton High School student mentors were honored for their leadership, along with the community partners whose collaboration made the program possible. At the celebration, students reflected on their experiences with Community Cares, highlighting how the program strengthened school culture and provided meaningful lessons on real-life challenges many students face.  

Special thanks to Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center for being our partner in the development of this program and for shaping its curriculum, especially its leaders CEO Leslie Slingsby and Program Manager Carly Morris. Methacton School District's leadership in Assistant Superintendent Dr. Che Regina, Director of Pupil Services Dr. Jamie Gravinese, Director of Curriculum Dr. Melissa Gorla, Methacton High School Principal Dr. Deb Euker, Arcola Intermediate School Principal Dr. John Ewerth, Skyview Upper Elementary School Principal Dr. Nicole Berical and Assistant Principal Mr. John Conran, Belonging and Climate Facilitator Mrs. Michaela Whitehouse-Zelli, Director of Communications Ms. Julia Skrobak, Teachers Ms. Liza Kernan and Mrs. Gina Fabrizio, all of the 6th and 7th grade teachers, as well as the high school teachers of our Community Cares students deserve immeasurable thanks for their work on this program and acceptance of the scheduling changes it requires. Key funding support for the program comes from the Methacton Education Foundation. The success of Community Cares also stems from the hard work that our partnering organizations put into the lessons and training sessions. Thank you to the Year One Curriculum partners: The Arc Alliance, Montgomery County Commissioners’ Office, Victim Service Center of Montgomery County, Laurel House and Dr. Meredith Frank of Montgomery County Community College. 

If you’re out in Lower Providence and Worcester Townships, keep an eye out for the Community Cares logo in businesses and establishments that are supporting the work to build community and a positive environment for our kids. And make sure you click these two links to visit Methacton’s page about Community Cares and to watch a video showcasing the program, our incredible team and the students who make this work possible.