Operation Shoestring’s Project Rise Afterschool and Summer Program
Operation Shoestring’s Project Rise afterschool and summer program serves Pre-K through 5th graders. Program activities include a variety of activities, from literacy and STEM to arts and culture, gardening, nutrition, and a host of physical fitness activities. Certified teachers, volunteers, and community partners provide academic, social and emotional support for children’s educational success and personal development.
Revamping online services & getting ready for summer
Currently, Operation Shoestring is revamping our virtual afterschool program. Operation Shoestring has started hosting a bi-weekly Zoom party to celebrate students, and will create virtual clubs for the students based on their hobbies and interests. Examples might include art or gardening or dance. We’ll create an opportunity for students to connect with their club.
Operation Shoestring is working hard to plan summer programs and create a plan to reopen to in-person services. In order for in-person programs to resume, we want to make sure it is a safe and healthy environment for students, ensuring that all safety protocols are being followed and teachers are well-equipped. Stay tuned for more information regarding updates about our summer program.
The benefits of afterschool programs
High-quality afterschool programs like ours benefit students who may need extra help retaining and understanding information they’re learning in class.
Socially, children benefit in a fun environment where they are able to be free and be themselves and communicate with one another. With our enrichment programs, students are able to reinforce their academics in a way that is exciting, even if that happens through a screen. For example, if students are doing a cooking activity, they are not only learning how to cook, but also how to measure and do simple math, and manage and execute a project from start to finish.
Providing homework help for students in need
This school year, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School students volunteer as tutors and help Operation Shoestring students with homework. This tutoring creates an opportunity for students to get help in a 1-on-1 environment. This service is not made to give students answers, but to assist the students step by step to work to get the correct answer. If the students don’t have homework to do, volunteers help students through activities and extra practice.
Meeting the needs of the community with financial supports
Last Summer, Operation Shoestring noted that one of the impacts of COVID on our community was increased financial pressure on families. The pandemic-fueled economic tightening meant that many parents lost jobs or had reduced income, while they simultaneously had increased expenses at home due to the costs of quarantine. For most of our families, bearing the additional costs of utilities, food, PPE, and cleaning supplies, among other things, was a profound challenge. In looking at best practices for how to support families in crisis, Operation Shoestring repurposed some of its resources to provide direct cash assistance to families of children enrolled in our programs. We did that last August, and have just done it again this week, because being there for the long haul for our families is central to how we live into our mission.
Investing in the hearts and minds of our children and their families to promote health and self-sufficiency, and faithfully extending the hand of hope and opportunity to empower the needy, uplift our target neighborhoods and the larger community, and brighten the future for us all.
By teaching children and inspiring families, we all rise together. Visit our website to learn more about our afterschool programs.