Many parents work and cannot afford expensive after-school activities, which means children are often home alone after school. Most petty crimes, drug use, and teenage sexual activity occur between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm when parents are at work (After School Alliance, 2014). The choices made during these hours impact our community.
During the 2014-2015 school year, 77% of Redmond School District's students were considered low income, and in Oregon, 22% of children were left home alone after school instead of enrolling in afterschool programs. That said, 44% of Oregon’s children said they would participate in an afterschool program if available. Unfortunately, in Oregon, there is limited funding to support low-cost afterschool and summer learning programs.
A fourth-grade girl in our school came from a family with minimal financial means. She was unable to participate in activities she loved, like dancing. She would wait at home alone until her mother got off work. Her grades were suffering.
Community School has offered her a chance to get homework support, participate in hip hop, jazz dance, build friendships, and learn new skills. She's always one of the first to turn in her registration. She eagerly asks when the program will start and openly declares her love for Study Hall.
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- The Vern Patrick Community School project addresses Adverse Childhood Experiences by providing educational, health-related, and other important social supports to families.
- The program was implemented by Redmond School District 2J.
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The project attempted to:- Increase student health, safety, and academic success.
- Provide engagement and education opportunities for parents.
- Build community relationships to increase family resources.
- Offer physical nourishment, safe supervision, and academic and cultural enrichment.
- Increase student health, safety, and academic success.
Vern Patrick Community School served 225 K-5th grade students in the 2016-17 school year and 150 in the 2017-2018 school year.
On average, 41 students regularly attended across all terms.
The school has led to positive outcomes for our children and the culture by making family engagement and education a primary focus.
The development of long-lasting community relationships led to increased volunteer hours and $35,788.94 in donations across the two school years.
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- The Vern Patrick Community School program offered a successful out-of-school day experience for elementary students and families.
- One challenge was the ability to offer La Clase, a Spanish literacy class hosted by volunteers. Due to limited volunteer capacity, the class was still offered in the second year but for a shorter timeframe.
Our program successfully provides low-income families an affordable after-school program that costs 1/10 that of similar programs in the area.
This program provides a safe place to go after school while facilitating learning and opportunities for growth.
Vern Patrick Community School collaborated with school staff and organized events like Walk to School days, Fix A Flat, Back 2 School Night, Dad’s Breakfast, and more.
Community events helped increase the number of participating families and students.