Adopt-a-school makes local YLS a "community partner".

Ironically located on the posh island of Palm Beach, Palm Beach Public Elementary school is populated by students from the poorest areas of the county. Through the Young Lawyers Section of the Palm Beach County Bar Association, these children are receiving much needed school supplies as well as essentials to get them through the year.

The YLS was informed by one of the administrators that many of their students had no beds or pillows and regularly slept on the floor with only a blanket. The YLS immediately began to help these children by deciding to adopt the entire school.

The "Adopt-A-School" project kicked off two years ago with the Back to School supply distribution. The students, who arrived without supplies, were able to select what they needed from backpacks and folders to pens and paper. Supplies were also given to the teachers to help with classroom needs.

The project co-chairs, Grier Pressly and Allison Kapner, worked hard to coordinate efforts of the YLS with area businesses, law firms, and the membership of the local bar. "Our primary goal was to make sure that the students and teachers had all the supplies and teaching materials that they needed," said Pressly.

This year, the project expanded to include four area specialty bars: the F. Malcolm Cunningham, Sr. Bar Association; the Hispanic Bar Association; Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Palm Beach County Chapter; and the B'Nai B'Rith Legal Justice Unit. Representatives from these groups and the YLS began last year to expand the project.

This expansion resulted in the group adopting a second school, Roosevelt Elementary School, which has a rule that all backpacks must be clear. A local distributor was found to provide 200 clear backpacks, all funded by the project. Between the two schools, supplies were distributed to approximately 400 students.

"One of the missions of the Palm Beach County Bar Association is to give back to the community," said Patience Burns, executive director of the association. Burns added, "This annual Adopt-a-School Project is just another way our attorneys are making a difference in the lives of others."

In addition to providing supplies, the project funds field trips, conducts career days, and helps with FCAT preparation. A Career Day was held at Palm Beach Public for K-5th grades in the spring 2002 and 2003. More than 20 careers were represented including lawyers, judges, doctors, nurses, accountants, engineers, police, firemen, computer science engineers, journalists, and politicians. Each representative circulated through each classroom to give a brief presentation and hold a short Q&A session with the students.

With the assistance of the YLS, the county's public teachers have also been able to take the students to the beach to study for the FLAT, so that the students could learn in a fun atmosphere.

The math lessons included building sand castles using a mathematical grid and a volume game in which the children filled cups and buckets with tablespoons.

"The teachers involved with the Beach Blast told the Young Lawyers Section board that the students had never shown such interest in learning the math skills tested by the FCAT exam," said Pressly.

The community has also recognized the project by honoring the Young Lawyers Section of the Palm Beach County Bar Association with the "Community Partners" Silver Medal in the Not-for-Profit category last year.

This article was contributed by Jennifer Krell Davis of The Florida Bar's Public Information Department.