After-School Program Begins at Salina, Kan., Church

By Darrin Stineman, The Salina Journal, Kan.

Sep. 28–Having received the jump-start it needed, a free after-school program at St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church is set to begin on Monday.

The church recently received a $7,500 grant from the Salina Regional Health Foundation’s Community Health Investment Program, which will help pay for equipment and staffing costs.

“We’re just expanding what we do,” said Allen Smith, pastor of St. John’s Missionary Baptist, 215 S. Chicago. “We already have a very successful summer program, and we’ve been running a Wednesday-night youth program.

“Based on a survey done in Salina and an internal survey within the church, we identified a need for additional after-school programs, particularly for those who are economically unable to afford some of the fee-based programs already available in the city.”

From 2:30 to 6 p.m. on school days, the program will offer students up to age 18 a place to work on homework, get a snack or take part in activities in a structured environment.

Bus transportation will be available from Cottonwood and Sunset elementary schools, but parents of children from other schools can drop their kids off.

“The survey that was done said 77 percent of kids who are school age go home after school to an unsupervised surrounding one or more days a week,” Smith said, referring to the Saline County Health Risk Behavior Survey that was completed in 2001.

The St. John’s program will offer tutoring and the use of computers, so kids can have the opportunity to have their homework done by the time their parents pick them up.

“Our goal is to raise the academic achievement for our kids,” Smith said. “We believe we can raise every kids’ classwork by at least one grade. If a kid has a ‘C,’ we want, at a minimum, to get him to a ‘B.’” Encouraging positive behavior also will be an emphasis, he said.

“We believe teachers and parents will see the improvement from participation in our program,” Smith said. “Some kids have basic issues with respect and self-value, self-worth, direction and the discipline that’s needed to operate within certain areas.”

There are 60 slots available in the program, Smith said, and sign-up is available at the church during its regular hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Salina Regional Health Foundation’s Community Health Investment Program program focuses on health lifestyles, dental access and early childhood care and education, said Tom Martin, executive director of the foundation.

Since the foundation started the program in 1995, it has awarded $4.5 million for programs and services in the Salina region, Martin said.

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