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Boys & Girls Club outlines after-school expansion at Washington Middle School
Summary
Program leaders told the school board the Boys & Girls Club at Washington Middle School runs Monday–Friday, 3–6 p.m., is funded by a CCLC grant, and is adding robotics, leadership and career-readiness programming while seeking to grow enrollment and staff.
Athena Martin, unit director for the Boys & Girls Club program at Washington Middle School, told the Manitowoc Public School District Board of Education that the club operates Monday through Friday, 3–6 p.m., and is funded by a CCLC grant. “Our mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, caring citizens,” Martin said.
Martin said last year the program had 44 registered students and an average daily attendance (ADA) of about nine; it was open 162 days for a total of 486 hours. She said current registration is 32 students and the program is anticipating an ADA of 41–45 this year, and that staff are hiring for one additional position.
The program director listed regular program elements as power hour (homework support), STEM, art, career-readiness, social-emotional learning, project-based learning and physical recreation; new or expanded offerings this year include Lakeshore FIRST Robotics for middle-school students, a Torch Club leadership program and a Chartwells snack program. Martin said the club has a new, more visible room in the school (library and classroom space) and maintains partnerships with 4‑H, the Manitowoc Public Library and the Manitowoc Police Department.
Board members asked about robotics logistics; Martin said Lakeshore FIRST Robotics provides support and that Lincoln’s existing robotics team helps, and that some students travel from nearby schools or are homeschooled to participate. She said the club accepts referrals from school staff through a referral form and that staff will reach out to caregivers to register students.
In discussion, a board member urged colleagues to “spread the word about Boys and Girls Club because we have so much room to grow,” noting the program is free to families and provides supervised wraparound support for middle-school students after school. Principal Lani Longmeier introduced program staff and said the district hopes to increase student participation.
The presentation was informational; no board action or funding decision was taken during the meeting.
