Cold Can't Stop Us

Winter is back - with a vengeance! For young children who walk or take the bus to school, this weather is especially tough. Each year, when temperatures drop, the Rochester City School District sees a rise in the number of students who miss school.

This winter, we're working with dozens of partners on a 100-day challenge called “Cold Can’t Stop Us.” It's a collaborative effort to achieve 97% attendance for city students in pre-k through 3rd grade from February to the end of April. Chronic absence at this age makes it hard for kids to be successful in later years.

We're not doing this alone. The ESL Charitable Foundation provided a grant to support this project. Strong National Museum of Play donated family passes for anyone in the 14 target schools who meets the challenge goal. Local meteorologists are reminding viewers of the importance of bundling kids up and getting them to school every day.

Pro bono ads are being contributed by PODER 97.1, WDKX, Lamar Advertising, and Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority. And a special shout-out goes to Partners + Napier for their continued leadership and ongoing pro-bono support of this initiative. 

“This outpouring of support makes it clear that excellent attendance is a true community priority.” – Todd Butler, Causewave President & CEO

Learn more about the Every Minute Matters initiative here.