Support Access AfterSchool by donating today!
OUR MISSION:
Access AfterSchool enriches the lives of youth, supports working families, and builds healthy communities by providing high quality afterschool and summer programs
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OUR VISION:
Access AfterSchool is committed to facilitating connections among youth, their peers, families, mentors, and community. Youth feel a sense of belonging, are socially and emotionally supported, are empowered to explore their interests, and are inspired for the future
WE BELIEVE IN:
Building Healthy Communities
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Research shows that the afterschool hours are critical to the health, well-being and success of youth. Access’ evaluation shows that participating in Access’ programs provides many direct benefits to youth, including improved work habits, social skills and standardized test scores, as well as a lower incidence of misconduct. As a result, Access helps to ensure that youth are healthy, engaged and successful in school, which strengthens families and communities throughout our region.
Teaming Up for Student Success
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Access believes that collaboration is the foundation for a strong community. Since 2009, Access has partnered with hundreds of professional civic organizations to instruct in its programs. Recently, Access and Junior Achievement partnered to provide two classes at Ross Montessori School. These classes help prepare young students for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace.
Integrating Academics & Enrichment
Core academic concepts are woven into the lesson plans for enrichment classes. This approach allows students to apply the academic content they learn during the school day to their lives through active enrichment activities. Instructors weave creative applications of academic content into class activities, such as having students in a cooking class calculate cutting a recipe’s ingredient measurements by multiplying fractions.
Fostering Positive Youth Development
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Access’ philosophy is that youth thrive when offered experiences that spark passion and encourage movement and creativity. These experiences help youth develop skills that encourage personal growth, community connection, academic success, and an appreciation for arts, culture, and healthy living.
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Over 97% of participants reported being: happier, more creative, more confident and having a better attitude due to their participation in Access’ programs.