Boys & Girls Clubs hold after-school program

The clubs have partnered up to provide quality, daily after-school programming for elementary school students.

Avon Lake City Schools and Boys & Girls Clubs of Lorain County have partnered up to provide quality, daily after-school programming for elementary school students in Avon Lake.

“This came about when we started to realize some of our students don’t have someone available to them at home after-school,” said Andy Peltz, principal at Troy Intermediate School in Avon Lake, about the program that started Sept. 9. “You have situations where there is a single parent, or a situation where both parents are working.

“It can be difficult for families to have someone at home to help a child with their homework after school.”

Peltz said the district remedied the situation by looking at Boys & Girls Clubs.

“They have such a great reputation for the work they do with kids, and they do a great job of adding in curricular elements for their after-school programming,” he said. “They were also willing to work with us on developing what is being taught.”

More than socialization

Peltz said the program is more than just socializing with students.

“It’s not just a hangout time where they socialize, they receive homework help and have time where they focus on academics,” he said. “It’s also great because it’s something that is no cost for the parents.

“It is a very minimal cost for the district. We really just provide the space at Westview Elementary and busing for the students that don’t go to Westview. We also don’t provide the staffing.”

Peltz said the after-school program will help students meet state standards.

“They implement a curriculum based on state standards, so it’s not some random instructional period that was just made up,” he said. “The program will go over what students need to know, and it provides extra time for the students to do their work with someone who can help them.

“We are still in the early stages, but dialogue is continuing to happen between our teachers and Boys & Girls Clubs staff about what we would like to see covered after school.”

Exploration

Nick Moore, principal at Westview, said the afterschool program was an option the district had wanted to explore.

“It was something we were interested in as another option for students,” Moore said. “For those who do not have a parent waiting for them when they come home, the program provides a structured setting where students can socialize and get work done after school.

“Boys & Girls Clubs has also been very helpful in getting the word out to the community.”

Moore said the program is in the early stages, but he expects to see growth.

“We have around 25, and we should have 30 by the end of the week as more and more hear about it,” he said. “It’s something that isn’t really a freestyle; they have different rotations and programs for kids.

“They also provide dinner and playground time. It also gives kids the chance to see kids from other schools in the district and get to know them. We are really excited to see how the program grows as it continues to build.”

Tony Dimacchia, director of operations for Boys & Girls Clubs of Lorain County, said the organization is continuing to expand into more areas in the county.

“We just started this program with Avon Lake, but it was something where we are continuing to look across the county to possibly start these programs,” Dimacchia said. “We noticed there was a group of kids that were underserved in Avon Lake, so we began talks with the administration over there and they have been very receptive.”

Dimacchia said the program is geared to help students succeed.

“We design it to help close the achievement gap for kids,” he said. “We implement a curriculum in concert with what the state and schools are looking for. We also have the benefit of the school’s resources to improve the learning experience with the technology the district has. We also cover areas like character building and leadership, health and wellness, and we provide a meal for the students.”

Dimacchia said it’s important to make sure children have a place to go after school.

“We want to make sure kids have a safe place to go after that last bell rings,” he said. “We also want it to be a place they can get a good meal and work on their academics. These things are important to us.”