The Need

Shoreline Schools are rapidly increasing in diversity. There are 75 different languages spoken at home and more than 48% are students of color. The opportunity gap for students facing racial or economic inequity is an increasing reality throughout the school district.

“The students we serve are among the most diverse in the Shoreline School District – they are bicultural and bilingual, the first in their families to navigate the U.S. school culture. Our work at CANOPY is to ensure that these brilliant and underserved students grow into their full academic potential.”

Lynn Newcombe, Executive Director

Our Vision

We’ve chosen the name CANOPY because it captures the essence of our work with students.

A canopy is a living community of diverse types of trees growing together. They are sheltered from strong winds and storms, able to develop anchoring roots, branch into individual shapes, capture light and rain, produce leaves and seeds, and send water back into the atmosphere which creates rain.

At CANOPY, we provide an environment for students to grow into their full potential as scholars through tutoring, STEM, and community building programs. We have a stellar team of tutors as diverse as our students, and we build relationships at every level – with students, parents, teachers

Our Beginning

Our organization was founded by Dr. Rose Madrid Swetman in 2006 to meet the needs of students in her Shoreline community. Rose, a pastor, her staff and volunteer teams provided basketball camps, tutoring, mentoring and leadership programs for underserved students.