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<br /> own after their school closes its help write and implement the pro- State Department of Education.
<br /> door. gram. He hired Dee Ann Allen, a Statistics from the 1986 program • I
<br /> With the trend continuing toward former Jackson City teacher. show that about 65 to 70 children
<br /> this"working mom motif,"commu- Vaulx and Allen came up with the are enrolled in the four elementary
<br /> nity leaders in education and public basic needs of the after-school child schools participating in the pro-
<br /> service strive to meet this ever- which were, briefly, a safe, struc- gram. Alexander, Andrew Jackson,
<br /> growing need.Acutely aware of the tured environment; a snack; help Highland Park, and West Jackson
<br /> plight of these latchkey children, with homework;and supervised ac- Elementary are currently conduct-
<br /> city officials formulated a plan of tive and creative play. For the pro- ing the after-school care program.
<br /> action,unique in the quality of care gram to succeed, cost had to be A unique addition to the after- 9
<br /> provided, to meet the after-school nominal and quality had to be high. school care schedule is the involve-
<br /> child's wide range of needs. Principals gave their endorsement ment of the Jackson Recreation and
<br /> An avid supporter and founder of of the programs and teachers Parks Department. "Meshing the
<br /> the program is Education Corn- agreed to staff it, lending the pro- education department and the rec-
<br /> missionerBenLangford."Werecog- fessional expertise essential to reation department in after-school
<br /> nize the specialized needs of tutoring. care is an idea whose time has il
<br /> elementary children who require come," said Allen. "The two work- II'
<br /> safe, structured after-school care wwjith the facilities acquired and ing together enhance the program
<br /> and who need assistance with their . with
<br /> education staff in place,we for the children. Our two biggest
<br /> studies in order to complete their then considered structured and concerns are help with homework
<br /> assignments," says Langford. "We creative play opportunity.Jerry Gist, and stimulating activities. We feel
<br /> can offer these children an environ- executive director for the Jackson that with the involvement of our
<br /> ment which meets all these needs Recreation and Parks Department, Career Ladder teachers and the pro- I
<br /> and is staffed by qualified teachers realized the need for qualified pro- grammers sent by the recreation de-
<br /> familiar with the schools.This gives grammers who could expose the partment, our goals are being well
<br /> us more teaching time along with children to various cultural and rec- met."
<br /> time for special projects." reational experiences. "We at the Children like our supervised •
<br /> With the community's needs pa- Jackson Recreation and Parks De- study; they can finish their home-
<br /> ramount, Glen Vaulx, coordinator partment feel a strong commitment work before they get home and then
<br /> of Professional Personnel for the toward serving our community in have more time with their parents.
<br /> City ofJackson,formulated a plan of all facets and with all ages.Our staff Parents like the additional help that
<br /> action.Since this idea of schools in- is trained to work with children and their children receive as some of
<br /> volving themselves in extended adults in order to let them express them have had sparse formal educa-
<br /> care remains somewhat of a novelty, themselves in ways that are tion and are actually unable to give
<br /> model programs were few. The meaningful to that person," re- the children the specialized help
<br /> Trenton School District does have marked Gist. "Parental response to needed. They too appreciate being •
<br /> such a program; according to their our efforts and the happiness of the able to relax with their children in __
<br /> statistics, ten percent of all school children involved let us know that the evening rather than supervise
<br /> parents used the after-school care we are successful in our en- late-night homework.
<br /> provided.In 1986,there were 3,467 deavors." Stimulating and varied activity
<br /> elementary children in the Jackson In order to fund this program,we opportunities abound in the pro-
<br /> City Schools. With Trenton as a budgeted$39,000,$16,000 of which gram. Programmers, led by Pat
<br /> gauge, the Jackson plan could came from the state.We set fees for Gilliland-Alford, superintendent of
<br /> accommodate approximately 348 the program at $10 per week per recreation, work two days each
<br /> children. child, a fee that most parents sur- week. Programs offered include
<br /> We also assessed the Neiss Sur- veyed felt was very nominal for all crafts, games, storytelling, music
<br /> vey, conducted in May 1986. We that we offered.We got a boost for and movement,and creative drama-
<br /> asked parents if there were such a the 1987 program with a $5,000 tics. One need only look at the
<br /> program available whether they grant from the Special Project smiles on the children's faces to
<br /> would participate. More than 1,000 Grants Program for latchkey chil- know that fun is present in large
<br /> of them said yes.With these figures dren from the Education Consolida- amounts. "We have two major •
<br /> in mind, Vaulx began the task of tion Improvement Act of 1981 ECIA objectives that guide us in our pro-
<br /> finding a coordinator who would Chapter II, administered by the gramming," says Alford. "One, that
<br /> P&R/FEBRUARY 1988/53
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