About Positive Tomorrows
Positive Tomorrows is Oklahoma’s only elementary school and social service agency specifically for children and families experiencing homelessness.
Our History
In 1989, a group of OKC community organizations recognized the need for a new approach to educating homeless children.
That group, which included OKC Public Schools, the State Dept. of Education, CampFire USA, Neighborhood Services Organization, and the YWCA, founded Positive Tomorrows to meet the needs of this vulnerable population.
For many years, Positive Tomorrows’ mission centered on helping families experiencing homelessness get the documentation they needed to enroll their children in the appropriate local public school.
In time, our purpose has evolved, and our mission has changed. We’ve added robust support networks for families so they can improve their housing, employment, and income levels, and we’re leading the charge in developing a comprehensive educational system built to bring students up to grade level academically and socially so they can successfully rejoin the public school system.
Our Mission
Partnering with families experiencing homelessness to educate their children and create pathways to success.
Our Vision
Expanding the Positive Tomorrows model to schools and communities nationally to support families in moving beyond homelessness and toward self-sufficiency.
What We Do
Our work focuses on three areas: reducing barriers, supporting families, and providing a robust education with access to extracurricular activities. Those three objectives lead to stable families and students who are equipped and empowered to break intergenerational cycles of poverty and homelessness.
The Positive Tomorrows PathwayRemoving Barriers
We’re committed to clearing a path for our students by removing the hurdles they face in developing academically and socially. For most of our students, those hurdles come in three forms.
Hunger
We’ve all been there – that last class or meeting right before lunch when everyone’s hungry, and it’s impossible to focus on the task at hand. For a student experiencing homelessness, though, this feeling might not be limited to that pre-lunch period. Each of our students qualifies for free meals. Making sure those meals are nutritious and filling helps our students focus their energies on learning, not on worrying about whether they’ll get to eat.
Basic Needs
It’s hard to focus on learning math when you’re anxious about having everything you need for gym class. For a child experiencing homelessness, the lack of basic necessities can create worry and anxiety, leaving them with little energy to give to their education. We clear that hurdle by keeping a supply of those basic needs (school supplies, clothing, shoes, toiletries, etc.) at the ready.
Transportation
For families with limited access to transportation, just getting a child to school can feel like an insurmountable challenge. Our commitment to our students begins with helping them get to their classrooms. Our families know they can call in with their location wherever they end up, and our bus drivers will get to them.
Personalized Education
We strive to provide our students with the best possible education through individual attention and customized learning plans. We also offer a wide range of extracurricular activities that allow each child to discover their passions and develop skills that support long-term success inside and outside the classroom.
Individualized Assessments
Because our students are often behind academically by a year or more, we meet them where they are and work to bring them up to grade level. This process starts with assessing our students to identify where they need help and creating customized learning plans to put them on the path to success.
Individual Attention
Our small class sizes (a maximum of 16 students with a teacher and a classroom assistant) mean our students get personal attention and a path to success designed specifically for them. We equip our classrooms with the tools they need for each student to work on the areas where they require more help, without the fear of being left behind.
Extracurricular Opportunities
Our day doesn’t end when classroom instruction is over. Students participate in daily after-school activities driven by student choice. During school breaks – fall, winter, spring, and summer – day camps ensure students continue to learn, grow, and avoid the academic summer slide. Former students are also invited to attend break camps as a resource for our transitioned families.
Family Support
Family stability is the foundation for successful engagement in school. Each family at Positive Tomorrows has a case manager who supports them as they identify their needs and strengths in order to achieve their personal goals.
Resources
Stability and self-sufficiency ensure education never has to take a back seat to survival. To foster that stability, we provide programs to help families find shelter, food, and clothing. With those basic needs met, we help them learn life skills and find jobs, which puts them on the path to stable, independent housing.
School Events
Parental involvement is a key indicator of success, so our family support program offers parents the tools they need to attend school activities. We offer transportation to and from the school for every school event, as well as meals and childcare. These services make it easier for families with limited resources to attend school functions more freely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which individuals receive services from Positive Tomorrows?
Positive Tomorrows serves families with school-age children from Early Head Start through 6th grade experiencing homelessness in the Oklahoma City area. The definition of homelessness covers all cases where families lack a permanent place to sleep every night.
Does living in a shelter represent the only requirement for enrollment?
No. Families who are staying in motels, a vehicle or campground, or temporarily sharing housing with others because of housing instability can receive assistance. Reach out to us for help in determining your eligibility.
Does Positive Tomorrows require any payment for its educational programs?
No. While there is a cost associated with educating each student, that cost is not passed on to families. Students can attend Positive Tomorrows free of charge.
What should I do if I am unsure about our eligibility status?
Contact us. Our team will assess your situation to determine the best course of action. If our organization cannot provide direct assistance, we will refer you to a suitable resource.
Our Partners
Take a Tour
Please RSVP to Kat Floyd or call us at 405-556-5082. The kids and staff at Positive Tomorrows are so excited to share our school with you!
