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Giving the Edge reports growth and enrollment after taking over Partnering for Youth after-school program
Summary
Giving the Edge Foundation told commissioners it assumed operation of the Partnering for Youth after-school program for six schools and expanded to a seventh; officials reported 388 students in the fall semester and 502 in the spring, plus program highlights including theater productions and a girls' basketball championship.
Representatives of the Giving the Edge Foundation and Partnering for Youth updated the commissioners on June 10 about their first year managing the county's after-school programming formerly run by the school district.
Robert Woolley and staff member Nikila King said the foundation stepped in after a district feasibility study and community meetings. The program covered six schools in the fall semester (388 students enrolled) and expanded to a seventh school (Bayside Elementary) in the spring; overall spring enrollment across seven schools was 502 students. The program offers sports, arts, STEM, theater and other activities and strives to provide low-cost or free spots for students eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
Woolley highlighted a few success stories: a Mattapeak Middle School girls' basketball team that overcame long odds to win a local championship, and strong theater productions at three middle schools that drew hundreds of community attendees. Site coordinators and family surveys reported positive feedback: 85% of responding families said they would enroll again, 80% said their child made new friends through the program, and 55% said the program increased their child's enthusiasm for school.
The board of education remained a partner in tracking participation data, and local funders including the Jacob Sloan Foundation, Clifton Foundation and United Way contributed grants, Woolley said. Commissioners thanked the foundation and staff for maintaining after-school opportunities and noted the program's role as both youth programming and a family-support service.
