Nonprofit partners tell Chesterfield County supervisors programs are expanding; highlight swim-safety, mentoring and graduation gains

At a Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors meeting, nonprofit partners updated supervisors on local youth services and said programs in schools and YMCAs are expanding, producing higher school retention and graduation outcomes and new local swim-safety efforts.

Ashley Hall, a Communities In Schools (CIS) representative, told the board that CIS currently serves 14,000 students across 15 Chesterfield-area schools and that “when CIS of Chesterfield was present, 98% of students stayed in school.” Hall also summarized two recent larger studies, including a Harvard-linked economic-mobility analysis, saying CIS participation was associated with a 7.5% higher graduation rate and about $1,500 more in annual earnings for participating students, figures Hall described as extending the program’s impact beyond dropout prevention.

Jody Alexander, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Richmond, described the YMCA’s local footprint and services and highlighted drowning-prevention work. Alexander said the YMCA reached roughly 230,000 people in 2024, of whom just under 55,000 were in Chesterfield County and almost 18,000 were youth, and that the association raised more than $1,700,000 to reduce financial barriers to participation. Alexander related a local example of impact: a student who learned to swim as a child at Bellwood Elementary and who is now a sophomore at Virginia Commonwealth University and a lifeguard and swim instructor at the Chester YMCA.

Alexander announced that the YMCA will offer one week of free swim lessons to 1,000 children the week of May 19 as part of Safety Around Water week, with dry-land instruction at after-school sites and outreach to neighborhood partners.

Matt Kirkert, representing Boys to Men, outlined the mentoring program’s model and local reach. He said Boys to Men operates in eight school divisions and that Chesterfield County uniquely provides a police officer to sit in mentoring circles; the program runs group mentoring circles of about eight to 12 young men weekly from late September to early May, plus community evening circles. Kirkert gave local participation data for the 2023–24 period, saying roughly 47% of students served across the program were Chesterfield County residents and describing 20 weekly circles, 20 events, and participation in 16 local schools (12 middle and 4 high schools) and two community sites. He said program evaluations show 78% of participating youth feel they belong to a community and 70% feel safer speaking to an adult after participation.

Board members and the deputy superintendent, Dr. Lisa High (present at the meeting), praised the partnerships and noted the programs’ role in school retention, teacher support and community connection. Several supervisors and board members described visiting program sites and urged continued collaboration between county government, Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS) and community partners.

The presenters emphasized distinctions between levels of service: CIS described tiered supports (universal schoolwide services, targeted group supports and intensive case-management interventions); Boys to Men emphasized group mentoring rather than one-to-one matching; and the YMCA described targeted swim instruction for children with autism as part of a national pilot and said it is investing in facility improvements at the Chester YMCA.

No formal votes or county actions were recorded on these presentations during the meeting; the segment was an informational update and included invitations for board members to tour sites and volunteer.

The board was given short-term and near-term next steps: CIS said it will add a second new school site and a full-time second site coordinator in the coming year; the YMCA announced the May free swim week and ongoing drown-prevention programming; Boys to Men described summer events and volunteer opportunities and encouraged board members to visit circles and trainings.

The board discussion primarily consisted of appreciation and requests to continue coordination among county departments, schools and nonprofit partners. Presenters repeatedly framed their work as complementary to CCPS and county services rather than as replacements for school-provided instruction or services.