We’re almost to the light at the end of the tunnel. Summer is finally on the horizon. Kids are itching to get a break from school, parents are itching to get a break from their kids, and we are itching to give kids the fun and engaging break they need while allowing parents to enter the “chill zone” (in case you’ve been keeping up with our Summer Enrichment campaign).
Although things are somewhat getting back to normal, AYS is still adapting its operations to best meet the needs of families when curveballs get thrown our way. Most recently, MSD of Decatur Township announced that the district will be offering a free 5-week summer school program during the second part of summer, which will be focused on offsetting students’ learning loss during the pandemic. Upon hearing this news, rather than discontinuing our Summer Enrichment program in Decatur after the first three weeks, we met with Decatur administrators to determine how AYS could continue supporting its families during summer school. Decatur was gracious enough to allow AYS to offer before- and after-care programs surrounding their summer school, for families who need it. Beyond that gesture, Decatur also agreed to write AYS into their summer grant, allowing AYS to offer free before- and after-care for these families.
How many organizations can do that? How many organizations can truly change directions on a dime to meet the needs of its customers? We don’t make these adjustments to retain revenue streams. We make these adjustments for parents who need a safe and trusted place for their kids to be while they’re at work, for kids who need to catch up on their learning, build their social-emotional skills, and just be kids, for our staff members in the field who are counting on steady income so they can provide for their families, and for the well-being and growth of the community as a whole. None of this is possible without the incredible and passionate team we have, and supporters like you. If you’d like to help us continue supporting the community when it needs us the most, click here to donate.
As we continue marching on into the summer, we have one goal in mind – to help kids close achievement gaps created by pandemic-related learning loss while providing parents with the financial support they need to cover the cost of Summer Enrichment. Over the summer, we plan to implement a project-based learning approach that will allow kids to strengthen their academics and stay on track to return to in-person learning in the fall, all while having fun. In order for kids to have this opportunity, we must continue working to find ways to financially support parents, whether that be through our Ellen Clippinger Fund or summer program grants. With your help, we can achieve these goals. We appreciate your support more than you know.
