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| A+ Programs | ||||||||||||
| The INSYNC partnerships (Innovations for school and youth neighborhoods and communities) and the Hampton Parks and Recreation Department have put together an outstanding community based program throughout the City of Hampton.� The program is called A+ After School Programs, which is the shortened version standing for "Aspire + After school + Academics = A+."� Those are the three main areas that have been targeted to achieve much harder goals than just each alone would.� The interview I had with Linda Craig, an employee in Community Resource development for the City of Hampton's, Parks and Recreation Department gave me a better understanding to what a great program they have going for the community. | ||||||||||||
| The mission of the A+ program is "To create high quality school age care and innovative, effective programs through the City of Hampton."� The programs that are used in order to accomplish this objective cover three main areas.� The first and most basic is to "create within the student a strong ambition to succeed academically, socially, and physically." (Linda Craig, presentationa+. ppt)� The second is after school programs.� They were "established to offer quality care and effective school age activities." (Linda Craig, presentationa+. ppt)�� The third area is "designed to reinforce what is taught during the school day." (Linda Craig, presentationa+. ppt) Offering opportunities for the students to ask questions and get help.� These three things are the basics for the completion of the mission statement. | ||||||||||||
| The main reason of this program, and others like it, existence is to help the community.� Specifically in this case, it is for elementary students (first through fifth grade), and middle school students (sixth through eighth grade) who come from low to mid income families.� By giving the students an activity after school, the parents do not have to worry about what their kid is doing or where they are.� On top of that it also provides help in school as well. �There are many things available to do at these after school activities.� Some of the choices include homework help, tutoring, clubs and activities, sports, and computer technology.� Only a few of them do the parents have to pay anything.� For example karate lessons, and swimming lessons have a small affordable fee. | ||||||||||||
| The impact the tutoring program has on the student is very significant.� The student receives attention that he/she might not normally get in an everyday school environment.� Having a tutor at the end of each day has been shown to help them academically.� Students who have D's and F's, and that have been helped by a tutor have gone to earn B's and C's.� On top of academically, the tutor and the child eventually create a friendship that will be able to help them with life.� They might need someone to talk to about a rough week or something like that.� In the end, the tutor's main goal is to be a friend to the child. | ||||||||||||
| Finding people to carry out the different tasks needed at the sites is done a few different ways.� The spokesperson, in my case being Mike Canty, contacts local colleges, universities, and other places where a helpful spirit may be found, and looks for interest.� Then he presents the information to the candidates and leave it up to them on whether or not they're interested.� Basically the people that are currently helping with the programs all want to be there. | ||||||||||||
| At this day and age the parents of these kids have every right to be concerned about who is working with their child.� This is a big concern of the INSYNC partnerships and the Hampton Parks and Recreation Department, so they have a strict set of guidelines for accepting employees and volunteers.� The main part of the process is a Virginia State Police background check.� Only if the person has an acceptable record to work with kids, i.e. no criminal record beyond traffic violations, does the rest of the hiring process continue. | ||||||||||||
| One big problem that the program faces is funds.� Before the federal block grant was reserved from the federal government, targeting low to mid income families in Hampton, there were only five sites that were offering the services.� Within the first year of the grant being in place, the number of sites more than quadrupled to twenty-one.� The grant also brought in a system that offered a flat payment of five dollars per hour to those that made a employment commitment, while at the same time left it open to those that feel like volunteering would be better for them.� Now once again the only factor that is holding back expansion is funding. | ||||||||||||
| The end result is that the INSYNC partnerships and the Hampton Parks and Recreation Department have established very good community based programs.� Their programs were not created on the track to make money but as a nonprofit organization to help the community of Hampton, Virginia. | ||||||||||||
| Works Cited | ||||||||||||
| Craig, Linda.� Personal interview.� October 26, 2001 | ||||||||||||
| Craig, Linda.� "Presentation A+." E-mailed Power Point presentation.� October 27, 2001. | ||||||||||||