Outreach
Dear Epic Charter School Community,
We are overjoyed to share some incredible news that wouldn't be possible without each and every one of you. Thanks to your support and active participation in The Epic Hugs Project, we were able to build 200 amazingly full and packed-with-love care packages to send overseas to our military heroes!
To our teachers, you are the backbone of this initiative. Your guidance, encouragement, and the time you dedicated to ensuring the project's success did not go unnoticed. Your commitment to instilling values of empathy and kindness in our students is truly commendable.
A heartfelt thank you to our principals, MDIs and ASIs for your motivating leadership and support throughout the project. Your guidance has been invaluable, and we appreciate your commitment to fostering a sense of community within Epic Charter School.
To our students, your creativity, heartfelt letters, and carefully curated care packages have made a significant impact on the lives of our deployed military heroes. Your compassion and enthusiasm have created a positive ripple effect of kindness that extends far beyond the walls of our school.
To Dr. Kincaid, Shawn Franzeo, and Luis Ortiz-Barreto, our heartfelt gratitude for being the face of this project and for your unwavering support from start to finish. Your leadership and dedication have been instrumental in making The Epic Hugs Project a success.
A special thank you to Chris Vasquez and Sean Ridenour on our communications team for their outstanding work in producing and editing our videos swiftly. Your flexibility and dedication have made a significant impact on the project's overall success.
To Ray & Karen Stark, Lisa Watford and the whole Hugs Project Team, your dedication to providing care packages for our deployed military heroes has been nothing short of inspiring. Your tireless efforts and commitment have touched the lives of those serving overseas and brought countless smiles and glimmers of encouragement to those who serve us.
A special thank you to The Rotary Club, Zoya with Mark Allen Chevrolet, Fort Sill USO Army Base, VFW of Lawton Post #5263, Lawton Vet Center, Marla Robinson Consulting & Grit Resources, Fancy Cakes and Confections, Lister Home Team - EXP Realty, Bowers Construction, Leonard Investments, Walker & Black Widow Model Disposal Co., Top Side Roofing, Gift Baskets by Dawn, Christmas Connections, Black Rifle Coffee Company, and our whole Epic School Community whose generosity and community spirit have been instrumental in making this project a reality. Your support has made a lasting impact on the lives of those who receive these care packages in the mail so far away from home.
To Kaiden Hudson with eSports, our tech guru, thank you! Your invaluable assistance in creating a platform for giving and streaming has contributed to the project's efficiency and success.
To The Hugs Project individual donors, James Edward Hrdlicka, Kenneth Drake, Bernard Albaugh, Lindsay Cooper, Marty & Debi Mauldin, Stephanie Harjo, Chastity Tate, Dori Austin, Brianna Davison, Lauren Williams, Adam Wilhelm, Warren Yang, Emily Chapple, Marisa Zoppelt, Dexter Nelson, Kimberly Bauer, James Moore, Paul Finnegan, Dean Surface, Rhiannon Murray, Amanda Lee, Judith Ladd, Kymberly Neumayr, Charles Bowles, Cinthea Comer, Bob Frakes, John Pribyl, Ronda Cook, Lynne Hunt, Shelly Kirkhart, Dr. Carl & Karla Smith, Craig Conaway. It is your contribution that made care packages sent overseas possible! Please know that your donation is more than just a financial contribution; it is a symbol of empathy that brings comfort to those who need it most.
In the spirit of community, your combined efforts have made The Hugs Project an overwhelming success. We look forward to the possibility of future collaborations and shared endeavors that continue to make a positive impact on the lives of those who serve our nation.
Once again, thank you for your unwavering support and for making The Hugs Project a beacon of kindness
and compassion within our Epic Charter School community!
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About
Epic Cares is a family outreach program that is making a difference in the lives of students and their families. We operate within a school, providing support and resources to those who need it most. Our goal is to help children and their families build better lives, one step at a time. We are dedicated to providing engaging, smart programming that makes a real impact in the community. With your help, we can make a difference in the lives of countless students and families.
Community Outreach
At Epic we want to make the world a better place! We implement initiatives throughout the year to empower and improve the overall quality of life for our Epic students and their families in need. We help provide tangible resources to help students be successful.
Community Service
Epic Charter School Community Service was started around the belief that we can bring a ray of sunshine to others by serving our community, bringing hope, and a ‘why not’ mentality. We strive to show our students the importance of helping others in their community.
Space is limited for each service project. Reservations for each individual service project will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis, so complete the registration to hold your spot as quickly as possible. There will be different age requirements based on where we are serving. Parents and guardians are asked to attend to chaperone their students and provide transportation to and from these service projects.
High School students will receive volunteer service hours for High School credit. If you are unable to attend, please cancel your registration to give other Epic students and their families the opportunity to serve.
Additional community service opportunities will be posted to this page and the Epic Charter School website calendar as they become available.
Homeless Students
Epic Charter School administration and teachers intentionally seek out any students who are homeless or who require other services to ensure free and appropriate public education by regularly monitoring the identifiers and data sources associated with our enrollment process, referrals by outside entities, self-referrals, or input from Epic staff.
According to section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)), the term “homeless children and youths”—
A. means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence…; and
B. includes—
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(i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;
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(ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
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(iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
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(iv) migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).
Children and youth are considered homeless if they fit both part A and any one of the subparts of part B of the definition above.
Students and records found in this way are escalated to the Homeless Liaison, Marti Duggan. Marti Duggan can be reached at 405-749-4550, Ext. 710; or by email, at marti.duggan@epiccharterschools.org.
Homeless Liason
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Assesses and addresses the enrollment, educational access, and participation needs of students experiencing homelessness.
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Uses knowledge and understanding of the needs of students, families, school staff, and community partners to enhance students’ full participation and success in school.
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Provides information and training for staff, families, and agencies regarding the rights of children to access educational resources.
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Intervenes as needed with schools, agencies, families, and students to maximize student success and participation in school.
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Secures necessary school supplies for students.
Once a student has been identified as homeless, the Homeless Liaison will contact the student or family to ensure access to enrollment is swift and assess any additional needs the student may have. Epic Charter Schools ensures that all requirements of the Mckinney-Vento Homeless Act are carried out to provide homeless students with opportunities to access quality education. Since McKinney-Vento students automatically qualify for Title I services those students in the grade levels served by our Title I program are offered these services. Students who qualify under McKinney Vento will be contacted personally by Epic’s Homeless Liaison asking if they need any supplies or other materials to assist in their schooling. Student needs will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
If you have a student you would like to refer, please fill out this form below, thank you.
Social Services
Epic Charter Schools is excited to announce a new partnership with Oklahoma Human Services to work with the families we serve. This partnership provides Epic with five full-time dedicated school-based specialists. They will be able to connect families with local services who may need them. This could include assistance with food, clothing, shelter, or home safety issues-anything that could have a negative effect on a student’s educational experience. If you need assistance or know a family that needs help, please contact Marti Duggan, and one of the specialists will be contacting you soon.
Contact Marti Duggan, Homeless Student Liason, with any questions or inquiries at marti.duggan@epiccharterschools.org or 405-749-4550, Ext. 710.
Counseling Services Request
Mental Health is an area of focus at Epic, and through partnerships with outside therapy providers, we can help connect families and students to mental health supports and services in all 77 counties. To make a counseling request on behalf of a family/student (if over 18) AFTER their permission is given, you can fill out a Mental Health Services Request to indicate their contact information and what type of therapy they are seeking. Once filled out, the referral will be made to the parenting agency. If the family has insurance, they will be asked to share that information. If there is no insurance present, the third-party agency will assist the family in locating a provider.
Upcoming Community Service Events
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