Community
Every July, Give a Hoot reminds Park County of something special about this community: people here believe that strong nonprofits help create a stronger place to live. Throughout the month, residents come together to support organizations that enrich life in Park County, with matching funds helping every donation go even further.
Among those organizations is one that is quietly doing something remarkably different.
While many workforce development programs begin in high school or even adulthood, Community School Collaborative starts much earlier. CSC works almost exclusively with middle school students, recognizing what research has shown for years: the ages of 11 through 14 are a pivotal time when young people begin developing beliefs about who they are, what they are capable of, and whether they can imagine a meaningful future for themselves. Students who develop that sense of future possibility are more likely to stay engaged in school, make healthier choices, persevere through challenges, and build the confidence needed to create healthy, independent lives.
For CSC, career exploration is about helping a 12-year-old believe they have possibilities.
During Give a Hoot, community members can support that work by making a donation to CSC through the Park County Community Foundation's Give a Hoot campaign (give-a-hoot.org/organization/CSC4Kids). Every gift helps ensure that CSC's programs remain free for students and schools while expanding opportunities for young people across Park County.
That investment helps make possible a program unlike anything else in Park County.
Each year, more than 300 middle school students from Livingston, Shields Valley, Gardiner, and Arrowhead participate in CSC's Career Days, Pop-Up Clubs, Job Shadow Program, and career planning experiences. They spend time inside real businesses, hospitals, nonprofits, government offices, construction companies, creative studios, and dozens of other workplaces, meeting adults who generously share not only what they do, but how they found meaningful work.
Sometimes those introductions become life-changing opportunities.
This spring, eighth-grader Anna participated in CSC's Job Shadow Program through Sleeping Giant Middle School's Young Entrepreneurs class. CSC matched her with Engine Room Pizza based on her interests, where she spent ten weeks learning alongside the restaurant's staff. By the end of the semester, she had earned a summer job.
Anna's story illustrates something else that makes CSC unique.
These opportunities don't happen because CSC has a large staff or a large budget. They happen because hundreds of people across Park County choose to invest in young people. During the 2024-25 school year, 76 local businesses and organizations partnered with CSC, contributing more than 1,400 volunteer hours and creating more than 4,200 hours of career exploration experiences for local students. Every financial contribution is multiplied by the generosity, expertise, and time donated by an entire community.
As CSC prepares for another school year, there are three important ways community members can help transform the lives of Park County's young people while strengthening tomorrow's workforce.
First, give during Give a Hoot. During Give a Hoot this July, community members have an opportunity to invest in that work by making a donation to Community School Collaborative through the Park County Community Foundation's Give a Hoot campaign (give-a-hoot.org/organization/CSC4Kids). Every gift helps ensure CSC's programs remain free for students and schools while expanding opportunities for young people.
Second, volunteer for Career Days. CSC is currently recruiting volunteers for six Career Days next school year: September 10th (MSU), October 9th (Hospitality), November 5th (The Trades), February 3rd (Downtown Livingston Businesses), March 18th (Livingston Healthcare), and April 29th (Law & Order). Volunteers accompany small groups of students throughout the day, encouraging questions, supporting conversations, and helping students make the most of these experiences. No specialized knowledge is required, only a willingness to encourage young people as they explore what's possible.
Third, share your experience. Local professionals are invited to speak to the Young Entrepreneurs class at Sleeping Giant Middle School or host a student for a ten-week Job Shadow experience. CSC intentionally maintains a broad network of guest speakers and host businesses so students can be matched with careers that genuinely reflect their interests, talents, and aspirations.
Whether someone gives during Give a Hoot, volunteers for a Career Day, shares their professional story, or opens their workplace to a Job Shadow student, every act of involvement helps a young person build confidence, discover new possibilities, and imagine a future they may never have considered before.
Because every thriving workforce begins with a young person who believes their future is full of possibilities.