Pioneer Education Programs

Supporting education, especially literacy, is the focal point of many Pioneers initiatives. Pioneers education programs address the needs of young people, with an emphasis on literacy, personal development, technology skills, and mentoring. We have several programs specifically designed for disadvantaged or disabled children.

Check out some of our stories below. Find your local chapter or club and volunteer today!

The Fort Worth Council took a stance against food insecurity and homelessness by preparing backpacks filled with love. 210 backpacks were filled and distributed. Items provided: fleece hats, gloves, hand warmers, Mylar heat blankets, socks, tuna packets, chicken salad packets, fruit, fruit snacks, mints, granola bars, assorted nuts, peanut butter, body cleansing wipes, hand sanitizer and feminine hygiene products. 

At Lakewood Park Elementary School in Ft. Pierce, Florida, Pioneers are helping take care of children in need. In this school, they encourage reading by having each student set a goal to read a certain number of books. At the end of the school year, those who have reached their goal earn an achievement award and a gift card. Local Pioneers bought additional books and gift cards to encourage the children’s interest in reading by making it fun and rewarding.

For many students, the books provided by the school library are the only ones they’ll ever read. But these Pioneers were only getting started. While mentoring the children, they became aware that some students were going without food over the weekends. So they created “Grace Packs” – bags filled with healthy snacks and meals for the boys and girls to take home on Fridays.

The Pioneers also noticed there were students who desperately needed shoes, underclothes, and jackets. In response, the volunteers set up a clothes closet to provide new and “gently used” shoes and clothes. By providing books, food, and clothing to the students, these Pioneers truly showed the importance of lending a helping hand in any way that they can.

The Kansas chapter of Pioneers runs a project called Students and Teachers Too that assists new teachers. Pioneers provide these new teachers funding and/or school supplies to help them optimize their classrooms for learning. Many schools that the project helps are Title I and in rural communities, so the teachers need the support.

Pioneers deliver the school supplies to the teachers, along with a few books for all the students in class and additional books for a classroom library. Pioneers make sure to provide a wide range of books that include selections that students are likely to read.