Zoe DeBates recently began her new position as Child Guide at Luverne Elementary School.
“I’m really excited to be involved and helping the community in this new role,” DeBates said.
The 2019 Luverne High School graduate replaced Lisa Dinger, who retired Aug. 1 after being in the position for 20 years.
DeBates, daughter of Mike and Sam DeBates of Luverne, graduated from the University of Minnesota, Morris, in May with a bachelor’s degree in communications, media and rhetoric after only three years on campus.
“I was able to really focus on academics and had a lot of opportunities (at UMM) that I wouldn’t have had at a larger university,” she said.
“I gained a lot of valuable experiences at Morris that I’m already using in this position.”
As a community adviser at UMM for two years, DeBates designed programs to help students with a variety of problems.
Those experiences prepared her for her new role in Luverne.
“The primary role of the Child Guide is to meet the needs of children and their families, both in school and in the community,” said Molly Carbonneau, who serves on the six-member board that coordinates the Child Guild program.
“Zoe has a real passion for children,” Carbonneau said. “She’s also able to look through a lens of students who may be at risk. That’s not easy to do if you haven’t been in those shoes.”
DeBates said the program, which is not funded or operated by the school district, connects students with a wide variety of people and programs in the community.
“Our goal is all about connections with caring adults and activities that help students succeed,” Carbonneau said.
DeBates said specific programs include Bookin’ Buddies, Kids in the Commons, and a homework club at school along with scholarships to programs outside of school in the community.
“We work to fill the gaps that kids and families have,” DeBates said. “It’s all about finding needs that students have and then meeting those needs.”
According to Carbonneau, a fourth-grade teacher at LES, she and other school staff often identify student needs and refer them to the Child Guide.
“We might see that a child needs socks or school supplies or maybe an alarm clock at home,” Carbonneau said. “We’ll let Zoe know and she’ll help fill that need, which helps the student succeed in the classroom.”
The Backpack Program that provides meals for students in need on weekends and during the summer is one of the primary programs that Child Guide partners with to help students and families.
“There has been a dramatic increase in utilization of the Backpack Program this summer,” DeBates said.
“And we know that school lunch will not be free this year like it was the last two years. So, it will be more important than ever that our families in need fill out the paperwork for free or reduced lunches and also for the Backpack program.”
According to DeBates, volunteers are vital to all that the Child Guide program does.
“We are really excited to be able to welcome people back into the school for programs like Bookin’ Buddies this year,” DeBates said.
“There are a lot of opportunities for volunteers. I would love to hear from anyone who would like to help or if I can be of help to them.”
DeBates can be reached via email at z.debates@isd2184.net
Dinger said she is excited about the transition and the future of the program that she led for two decades.
“I have loved working as the Child Guide and look forward to Zoe using her talents to grow the program,” Dinger said.
“The program works because our school and community are progressive and are always willing to help and support where needed.”