You never know where you’re going to find Stacie Jackson at Kennedy Elementary School.

She may be dining at her desk with a student who’s having trouble at school or home, listening as the grade schooler shares his challenges. She may be digging through the emergency clothes closet she set up in her office to find shoes, jeans or a coat for a student who has none. Or she may be distributing Harvesters Backsnacks and United Way BrainFood books to the 40 low-income students who participate in the school’s Nutrition Club.

Jackson’s list of duties as the site coordinator for Communities in Schools at Kennedy, a position funded by United Way of Douglas County as part of its Education Community Goal, is longer than the school day. And, it may soon be award-winning. The collaborative effort aimed at providing Kennedy students with the support they need to succeed at school has been selected as a finalist for Community in School’s Unsung Hero Award, given annually to recognize site coordinators who demonstrate an unwavering commitment to the students they serve. The winner will be announced at the organization’s annual meeting in January.

The mission of Communities in Schools, which operates in more than 2,200 schools located in the most challenging communities across the nation, is to provide students with the wraparound services they need to thrive in school and life.

While Jackson’s daily to-do list may change by the minute as she responds to the ever-changing challenges and opportunities that present themselves in this school where 73 percent of students qualify for free and reduced lunch, her daily directive does not. “The ultimate goal is that the students do the best they can in school,” she said.

It’s working. Of the 89 students on Jackson’s case management roster for the 2013-2014 school year, 93 percent worked with her to establish an academic goal, and 96 percent met that goal. Right now she is serving as case manager for 72 students, working with them one on one to set and achieve goals like regular school attendance, positive social behavior and academic improvement. In addition, she helps all students at Kennedy on a less formal basis with things like scheduling academic tutoring with area volunteers, helping their families with emergency services and making referrals for ongoing support from local human service agencies.

United Way’s collaborative partnership at Kennedy also includes the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, the Girls Scouts and Big Brothers Big Sisters. The goal of the Education Community Outcome workgroup is to develop ways to work together to better meet the complex needs of students facing poverty or other challenges.

“When we sat down to do the planning for our education goal almost four years ago, all the community partners engaged in education asked the question, ‘How do we support the students living in families who are on the brink of homelessness, are hungry, are not getting the supports they need at home to be able to show up to school ready to learn. Communities in Schools helps address that need,” explained Erika Dvorske, president and CEO of United Way of Douglas County. “We are thrilled to work alongside the educators at Kennedy who are doing great work in the classroom and in the community.”

Jackson works at Kennedy every day to help students plug into the diverse support services United Way’s partners provide. She recommends students to be Littles for Big Brothers Big Sisters school based and community based matches. She encourages parents to enroll their children in the Boys & Girls Club so they can participate in constructive afterschool programs like Power Hour, Girl Scouts, sports teams and clubs that parents might not be able to afford otherwise.

“Our partnership with Communities in Schools is producing great results, and we are honored to be recognized by the national organization for our work at Kennedy. It’s an endorsement of the collective work that is going on in our community,” Dvorske said. “We want to keep making progress toward our destination of improving student success by supporting the students and their families.”