An Overview of an Inner-City After School Center

Part 1: An Overview of an Inner-City After School Center

When establishing an after-school program one must take a close look at what the surrounding community is in need of. The after school program that I am proposing to start will be situated in the city of Newark, New Jersey, where the need for a successful afterschool program is great. This program will not only consist of services geared toward inner-city elementary school aged children, but will also focus on family wellness, as well as act as a safe haven for children to escape the gang related violence that has affected the streets of Newark.

The message behind this proposed center is quite simple; rebuild the community one child at a time by providing support not only for the child but for their entire family as well. The issues that are currently facing the city of Newark are quite dire, with high violent crime rates prevailing, a prevalent gang presence, and ramped drug trafficking. These issues make it imperative to have a center established that would bring these inner city kid's off the streets and into a program that will provide after school and weekend activities for them as well as resources and counseling for their families.

In order to successfully start an after school center of this size, one must first follow a series of steps that will ensure proper establishment of such a center (School-Age NOTES, 2005). In order to bring proper attention to this program the first step is to involve all local principals and parent teacher associations (PTAs) (School-Age NOTES, 2005). A representative of the center would personally meet with these principals one on one to discuss the issues that they themselves are facing within their schools.

The PTA plays the most vital role in this center and they will ultimately run the administrative duties if the center. The reason why the PTA is the right organization to spearhead this particular center is not only can they bring about support for the mission but can also hold fundraising drives within the school for the project. A sign-up sheet can be placed at every PTA meeting, providing parents the opportunity to show interest for the project. Fliers will be given to the PTA to hand out to the parents at future meetings explaining the mission behind the center, as well as encouraging volunteer work at the center by the members of the PTA. In order to reach parents that do not attend the PTA meetings permission fliers can also be given to each class so students can show their parents and have them sign and return the permission slips directly to class.

The center will be situated at the local YMCA center since they currently do not have an after school program of any kind available. Since sufficient space is necessary, the YMCA currently has two unused floors available for this project, and will also give the after school center use of their gymnasium and pool. The first of the two floors will be dedicated to student services like tutoring, art center, a computer and study center, as well as a playroom. The second floor will be dedicated to administrative offices, social resource center for parents, a learning annex for adults, and a family room.

This center will rely heavily on community volunteers, the parent teacher association as well as a board of directors that will consist of community and religious leaders, school guidance counselors, and child and family developmental specialists. A program director will be appointed to take on the daily running of the center, and will preferably have a graduate degree in child and family development but it is also imperative that they understand the needs and wants of the communities.

The center's budget will be broken up into 3 categories: 1) salaries for its employees, 2) supplies for the center's daily activities and daily school bus service 3) expenses related to special outings or activities for its students. Since the space is being donated by the YMCA, and the center does not have to worry about electricity or gas bills, the running of the center will not be that costly. The equipment for the center will come from various outlets, donations being the number one source, as well as internet listings on craigslist and free cycle. Daily supplies and activities will be purchased using funds collected via fundraising drives and community donations. Since the YMCA is donating time at their gymnasium for the after school center, equipment is not necessary.

The philosophy of this program relies heavily on the belief that in order to raise well developed children, educators and specialists must also provide adequate support and resources to their parents. Upon opening the after school center will be geared toward younger aged children (3 years- 12 years old), and thus the floor plan for the center must be designed with younger children in mind. Since kindergarten aged children learn differently than fifth grade students, each center should be designed with this phenomenon in mind. Kindergarten children during playtime have much shorter attention spans and mover from one activity to the next rather quickly (McDevitt, 2009, p. 238) because of this the play area should be designed with small centers such as the block area, the kitchen area, a water/sand table, and a puzzle area, all within short proximity of each other. Since children who are older become less distracted and are able to focus on one task at a time, their activity center can consist of more complex activity areas. The study room of the center should be built differently for each age group, with 4-8 year olds sharing a room that is free of noise and distractions as well as individual desks for maximum comfort, and 9-12 year olds sharing a room that consists of computers, a small library, and a large table for group collaborations

Part 2:

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