Wilkinsburg offering free after-school meals
Program also provides tutoring to youngsters
Like many kindergarten students, 6-year-old Laniyah Walker says her school day involves learning about subtraction, munching on snacks and enjoying recess with her friends.
But this week, she and a few dozen of her Kelly Elementary School classmates added an activity to their routine: staying after school for a free warm meal as part of a new program available to all school-age kids in the Wilkinsburg School District.
“I like the chicken nuggets,” Laniyah said Tuesday afternoon, endorsing the main dish served alongside peas, bread and milk.
The school district, in partnership with food service company The Nutrition Group, launched the initiative this week. The program at Kelly Elementary runs Monday through Thursday starting at 2:40 p.m.
District officials began considering the after-school meal program at the beginning of the school year and landed state funding for it. The funding requires that the district offer an after-
school enrichment program, such as tutoring, said Summer Pendro, the district’s early childhood coordinator who is overseeing the program.
Tutoring sessions are available for students in first, second and third grade — the areas of greatest need, student achievement data show, Ms. Pendro said. Other grade levels may be added as the program grows, she said.
Transportation from other schools in the district isn’t available yet, but officials are considering it, Ms. Pendro said. The district also plans to expand its offerings to include clubs and camps. From there, it could host events and provide other resources for families, based on what community members say they need, Ms. Pendro said.
“We want to be an educational hub beyond school hours that offers a multitude of things,” she said.
Ms. Pendro said the district hopes to eventually form a parent-teacher organization, an effort she believes could grow from parental involvement in the new after-school program.
“I’ve been in the district for 15 years, and the number of parents involved has always been small,” she said. “So we’re hoping the after-school meal program can just be the start of some great things.”
Eva Bench said her daughters, Nalayia, a kindergartner, and Camara, a second-grader, enjoy the program because it allows them to spend time with their friends after school.
“We like it,” Ms. Bench said. “It gives the kids a good thing to do after school instead of just running around in the streets.”
Forty-six students showed up for the meal Monday, and the district is ready to accommodate as many students who want to come. At least 51 students participated Tuesday — and that number could grow if Pittsburgh teachers strike, said David Pribish, food service director for The Nutrition Group at Wilkinsburg. The Wilkinsburg School District partners with Pittsburgh Public Schools to send middle and high school students to Pittsburgh Westinghouse 6-12 in Homewood.
Ms. Pendro said the district hopes to serve as many people as it can. The district has sent flyers and made robocalls to families in hopes of expanding the program, she said.
“We’re hoping that the program grows as the word gets out,” she said. “We want to be a big resource for the community, a place where everybodycan come.”