Homework help, academic enrichment, physical activities and experiential field trips will be a part of a new after-school program at Crothersville.
The Indiana Department of Education recently announced Crothersville Community School Corp. will receive $180,000 in 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant funding for the first year. Over a four-year period, the grant is for approximately $684,000.
The centers aim to increase access to high-quality, non-school-hour programming across the state for students in low-performing and high-poverty schools.
The federally funded program is an out-of-school-time initiative authorized under Title IV, Part B, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act and reauthorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Crothersville partnered with Scott County Family YMCA in writing the grant, which will allow for Champions 21st CCLC Academy to start in the 2017-18 school year. The program will be funded for four years.
Crothersville already offers an after-school program through Girls Inc. of Jackson County, but that is only for girls in kindergarten through 12th grade, goes from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and costs $50 for a yearlong Girls Inc. membership.
The YMCA program will be for boys and girls in preschool through eighth grade, run from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and come at no cost. The grant money will be used to pay staff members who will help run the program.
For Chris Marshall, principal of Crothersville Elementary School, one word came to mind when he heard the corporation received the grant.
“Ecstatic,” he said. “These funds will provide wonderful opportunities for our children and good-paying jobs for our staff. It’s a win-win for the community.”
He has been a big supporter of keeping the Girls Inc. program at the school and also has been working to offer something for boys to attend.
“Every child, male or female, needs academic and enrichment activities to develop proper brain growth,” Marshall said. “In addition, this program will offer academic remediation throughout the year, so I want to make sure every child has the support he or she needs to be successful.”
Read the full story in Thursday’s Tribune and online at tribtown.com.