Partner Spotlight: Magnolia Public Schools

Welcome to another PLUS ME Partner Spotlight! We have been connected with Magnolia Public Schools for nearly a decade and this week, we spoke with Brenda Olivares (Chief External Officer) and Maite Montalvo (Director of Public Engagement) to learn more about what keeps us connected:

Brenda met Richard in 2015, not long after PLUS ME was founded. He cold-called to ask if he could share his story. Brenda remembers when he arrived: “He came in and they loved him, he presented to almost 400 students that day.” After the pandemic shutdown, our partnership became more formalized as Magnolia moved to a campus in Venice with a high-need po[pulation, higher rates of foster and homeless youth. They were looking for organizations that offered inspiration and mentorship, so they invited us to serve their students and we continue to do so today.

It was the positive impact on those Venice students that cemented this long-term partnership. Brenda remembers: “The students were having conflict, struggling to connect and fighting. That decreased dramatically after they went through PLUS ME programs. Those grade levels showed fewer incidents.” Even our Educators PLUS ME session was a hit and the room was overflowing! A few staff were upset there were limited seats but those who attended were very touched, some to tears, and the impact was immediate. Maite described the workshop experience as “...really getting at that inner ‘niño’ or ‘niña.’ We’re always giving to find help for others but we forget about how our stories are tied to the mission of what we do.”

Brenda has affirmed that Richard is a key aspect of what sets The PLUS ME Project apart in the field of Youth Development: “He is such a motivational and dynamic speaker and he shares from the heart. Your model also makes the work simple with straight-forward questions, different engagement modalities, and universal learning design makes the content accessible for all.”

We look forward to growing our partnership with Magnolia Public Schools and connecting with the additional schools in their charter network that we have yet to reach.