Starter bell rings for new after-school program

Laureen F. Guenther  

Times Contributor    

 

The starter bell rang in mid-November for After the Bell, the Youth Club of Strathmore’s new program for 6-to-15-year-olds.

After the Bell is a safe place for Strathmore youth to hang out on Monday to Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. – eating snacks, finishing homework and spending time with friends. Colina Clark, Program Coordinator at the Youth Club, says she hopes the youth will “have a sense of satisfaction and independence by completing their school work and having some fun” before they go home for the evening.

From the parents’ perspective, After the Bell is an affordable childcare alternative. They know their children will eat a nutritious snack, complete their homework, and engage in healthy physical activity. Shannon Zieman, Program Director, says, “our hope with this program is that by alleviating that evening stress, our families can take the (evening) to focus on what is important, family.”

When youth arrive at the program, Zieman said, they enjoy their snacks and relax while the program facilitator looks over their school day timers and coordinate their homework. With support from the facilitator and 16-to-18-year-old volunteers, the youth complete their homework, and the facilitator documents completed work in the day timers. Those students who don’t have homework spend this time on other learning activities. Physical recreation follows the homework session, and the youths have the opportunity to engage in various activities weekly. On Wednesdays, for instance, they swim for an hour. After the Bell has allotted space for 15 registered youth and still has a few openings. Parents may register their children for a full week or only specific days, and fees vary accordingly.

Clark and Zieman are grateful for their program volunteers, and for financial sponsors who provide the snacks and recreation activities. They invite adults and 16-to-18-year-old youth to volunteer at After the Bell, and also welcome financial sponsorship. To contact the Youth Club about becoming a sponsor or a volunteer, or to register your child in this new program, please contact the Youth Club of Strathmore at (403) 934-4918 or check out their website: www.youthclubofstrathmore.ca.

The Youth Club of Strathmore, which developed After the Bell in response to community requests, emphasize that they value community feedback and inquiries about this program or any other program they offer. 

“Feedback is extremely important to us,” said Zieman. “We welcome comments and suggestions regarding our programs and how we can better serve our community.”