Local PTA Partners with Lyft to Address Parents’ Transportation Challenges

Parent involvement poses a challenge for some parents at Jones Lane Elementary School in Gaithersburg solely because of transportation.

Public transportation for families living on West Side Drive, for example, can take more than three-hours round trip which includes four bus transfers and four miles of walking.

The school’s Parent-Teacher Association is trying to change that through a partnership with Lyft.

The fundraiser simply works by residents using a promo code: JLESPTA. Each time a rider uses the code, the PTA will receive $4 in its account at no cost to the rider or driver.

The money deposited into the account will be given to families in the form of a Lyft gift card to be used for parent teacher conferences, sick child pick-ups, meetings, events, volunteering, and more.

The goal, according to Jones Lane Elementary School PTA Vice President, Stacy Kravitz, is to reduce barriers for parental involvement.

“When parents are engaged in their child’s education, the children do better and they succeed,” she said. “These parents want to be involved but they face barriers and challenges. We want to close one little gap at a time so everyone can be a part of the community.”

About Mitti Hicks

Mitti Hicks is a multimedia journalist and community engagement specialist with Montgomery Community Media. She is passionate about telling stories that impact our community and may be reached at MHicks@mymcmedia.org and on Twitter @mittimegan.

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