CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Hundreds of people gathered, including band members, cheerleaders, and local volunteers, to reconnect students who haven't shown up to school through a community-wide initiative.
Volunteers made the walk and visited students' homes to reconnect them back to educational resources for Operation Keys, or Keeping Every Youth in School. The community walk aims to encourage students to return to school.
Operation Keys is a partnership between Corpus Christi Independent School District, the Diocese of Corpus Christi, the Rotary Club of Corpus Christi and the City of Corpus Christi. Volunteers also contact the families of students who are not enrolled for the school year to encourage them to register and return to school.
"Sometimes they hit hard times and not sure exactly where to go," said Jennifer Noyola, coordinator for attendance, dropouts, and leavers prevention. "We have so many resources in Corpus Christi that everybody comes together to help teens get back in school."
According to the Corpus Christi Rotary Club, over 800 students have returned in the past six years, and more than 100 have graduated or earned a GED.
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