Tag: COVID-19

Out-of-School Time program staff are partnering with parents in new ways during this pandemic. With in-person programming mostly closed down, kids are connecting with youth programs virtually from their living rooms and kitchens. And staff are getting creative.   For Rebecca Brito, Recreation Leader at Northgate Elementary with Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR)—a Best Starts for Kids Collaborative with STEMPaths Innovation Network (SPIN)—this parent partnership has been the secret sauce for supporting her students. By tapping into the existing leadership of two mothers in the community, Feben Ghirmatzion and Blanca Melgarejo, nearly 40 kids have stayed engaged in programming despite not being able to attend in person.  “I’ve tried to hire them so many times!” she says, laughing.   The current program design happened organically, building on strong relationships. … [ ]

In an interview with Lauren Day, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Chehalis, she talked about the experience of one student in particular who became homeless right before the pandemic. The student’s mother is a health care worker whose irregular schedule during the pandemic would have left the child alone a considerable amount of time without the help of the Boys and Girls Club. At the Club, the student has access to his own Chrome Book to complete schoolwork with help from caring staff. The child received considerable support from his school, as well as ample opportunities … [ ]