Last spring, Pace launched a new website, KnightCare, to help Lower School families connect with Upper School students looking for babysitting or driving opportunities. Many Upper Schoolers signed up the first weekend it was available but were not aware of the hard work it took to make the website a possibility. Senior Leah Tesema partnered with head of school, Fred Assaf, to propose and eventually create the link between the Lower School and Upper School. “I have always loved babysitting and connecting with kids in the Lower School, but meeting the kids only happened through word of mouth. This made me think there should be a more convenient way for Upper Schoolers to connect with Lower School parents and kids”, said Leah. After Leah pitched the idea to the Parents Club, Mr. Assaf got involved and saw the opportunity to practice using AI for something like building a website. “With the help of the computer guys, the program that I built securely talks to the school database and the parent and student databases to ensure everyone is a part of the community”, said Mr. Assaf. So far, kids have had great success finding after-school jobs or even summer babysitting opportunities. “It’s such a good way to find great families,” said Senior Ava Grant. “KnightCare bridges the gap between the two schools, making it incredibly easy for Pace families to find trusted, familiar sitters within our own community, while giving Upper Schoolers a reliable way to find jobs,” said Leah, touching on why she believes the website has had great success. “Students are eager to make some extra money, and parents are more comfortable with their Upper School student sitting for Pace families and parents are more likely to trust a Pace kid to watch their Lower Schooler because of the inherent trust in the community,” said Mr. Assaf, highlighting that the reason a website like this works is because of the small Pace community. For the first time, Pace has an official website that can link the entire community together. “My favorite part is how it strengthens the Pace community by connecting different grade levels. It is more than just a job finder; it builds lasting relationships between Upper-School mentors and Lower-School kids, making our school feel even closer and more supportive,” said Leah. The website can help anyone interested in babysitting or even driving students to after-school activities find jobs from trustworthy families.
