Children’s After School Tutoring Program
What Is The Children’s After-School Program?
The Children’s After-School Program at the St. Vincent & Sarah Fisher Center is a community based, individualized after-school education program for children in grades 1-6, designed for year-round reading and math skill building to bridge the educational gap in Detroit. Sessions are Monday through Thursday, from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. The program is for students who are motivated to learn, and for parents who support their learning.
Statistics prove that if a child falls behind in math or reading skills by the fourth grade, they are less likely to complete their education and have a harder time finding employment. We believe that all children have the ability to be successful in life if given the required tools and skills. Our tutors provide encouragement, motivation and support for learning achievement.
How are we different than other children’s learning programs? We differ from traditional classroom settings in a variety of ways:
- Assessment – Children will be assessed in reading and math levels upon enrollment, enabling the Education Coaches to focus on areas of need for each child.
- Personalized – Unlike a typical classroom in a public or charter school, our Education Coaches are able to spend one-on-one time with students, to help them with their individual needs and identify early on any challenges that may hinder children later in their educational development.
- Different Environment – Different than after-school programs established by Detroit Public Schools, the children go to a different learning environment, which improves focus. They are not required to sit in the same classroom they have been in all day. In addition, the “break” of transporting the kids allows them to talk, laugh and move around, as opposed to continue having to stay still in a classroom setting. This provides a break from their regular school day and gives them the capacity to refocus upon entering the Center.
- Healthy Snack – A healthy snack is provided to each child to improve concentration.
- Parent Participation – Many after-school programs serve as a day-care or latch key program. We require mandatory parent participation not only in picking up the children from the Center, but also in the lessons/learning tools that are provided to the children.
- Children’s Store – Students are able to earn “Learning Bucks” to shop at our Children’s Store, providing incentive to participate on a daily basis.
Note: St. Vincent & Sarah Fisher Center reserves the right to discontinue a student’s participation in the program and strict standards are maintained in terms of attendance, participation, dress code and behavior while in our facility.
Program Facts:
- Consistent attendance is mandatory
- Enrollment is available for three different class sessions: Winter, Summer and Fall
- Students must demonstrate the ability to function positively in a group setting.
As with adults, children also are affected by barriers to education. Some of their barriers can be directly attributed to the barriers of the adults surrounding them. They can either feel that they are the cause of their parent’s stress/anxiety or through exposure to their parent(s) response to these issues, learn the behavior of education avoidance, perpetuating the cycle of resisting education.
Top Five Barriers For Children’s Education:
- Fear – Afraid of failing, making mistakes, what others might say
- Environment – no role models, education not a priority, living below poverty level, parents are not their first teacher
- Self-Confidence/self-esteem – children have an “I can’t” attitude
- Lack of educational parent support – parents struggle and are unable to assist their children with homework, reading, math, etc.
- Labels – children are called names such as stupid, intellectually challenged, special ed, dumb.
The Children’s After School Program Photo Gallery!