Area After-School Programs Get Boost With Grant Money

Eleven after-school programs across the state are getting a boost with $1.5 million in grants from Idaho’s Department of Education. Six of those programs are in eastern Idaho.

The ultimate goal of each 21st Century Community Learning Centers is to raise student achievement.

Third grade at Adams Elementary had ended more than two hours earlier, but London, 8, was still at school.

“They give you activities you can do while you wait for your mom and dad to pick you up,” she said.

The after-school program in Madison County School District 321 is extremely popular and, said organizers, always at capacity, serving as many as 700 students.

“There are a lot of reasons why parents choose to enroll,” said Janet Goodliffe, grant administrator for the district. “I think, most likely they really want to expand opportunities their children have.”

Thanks to a grant from Idaho’s Department of Education, the district will be able to include 250 more students with programs at Madison Junior High and Kennedy Elementary.

Madison County School District will receive $150,000 a year for five years.

“We’ll have special emphasis on our foreign languages with this new program,” said Goodliffe.

Goodliffe said BYU-Idaho students will help teach Spanish and Chinese, which some students already take.

Ryder, 9, said he learned Russian and showed off his skills with some phrases.

“Everything from Lego engineering and robotics, to dance, gymnastics, outdoor opportunities, all kinds of crafts,” said Goodliffe.

Goodliffe said every activity has an academic component, even if it just looks like coloring a picture of a flower.

“When you’re finished you can go outside and you can see all the different things of plants,” said London.

Goodliffe said she sees significantly higher I-SAT scores from the kids who participate in the after-school programs.

In addition to Madison County, grants were also awarded to school districts in Fremont County, American Falls, Sugar-Salem and Pocatello-Chubbuck.

In Blackfoot, the community center and Idaho Science and Technology Charter School will share funding as well.