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Empowering Darke County Youth
File Photo
From the Director
The
Empowering Mission Continues to Move Forward
This has been a tough year for everyone: business owners and employees,
parents, teachers and administrators, and especially, our kids. Yet we
move forward. All school districts in Darke County have developed plans
to allow on-campus instruction this fall. For the first time since the
middle of March we are able to work directly with the students who need
our help. We follow all District, State and Local health guidelines.
Our programs have adapted to meet Social Distancing concerns, and we
have a variety of options available for the students who need help.
Our After School tutoring programs will be starting October 19 this
year.
First I want to welcome Arcanum-Butler Middle School into our
Empowering After School Programs. Fifth and sixth grade students will
be working after school two days a week, focusing on the basics:
Language Arts and Math. According to Middle School Principal Jason
Vince, it will be more than curriculum-based. It will provide a safe
environment where students will feel comfortable getting help.
Mr. Vince’s point is well taken. I believe we can say the same thing
about all of our programs… a safe environment where students can feel
comfortable getting help.
Ansonia Schools has not made any specific changes except to limit the
number of students due to social distancing. They will continue working
with grades 1-6, two days a week. The Ansonia focus will be reading,
language arts and math.
Greenville City Schools, due to its size, grade levels and number of
students in one building, has unique social distancing challenges. We
are limited to the Elementary side of the building for the first
semester, and hope to bring in the Middle School students following the
Christmas break. Our current focus will be reading and math.
In Greenville we will have one tutor working with two students at a
table that allows for social distancing. Working with the students will
be teachers, experienced tutors and supervised Edison State volunteers.
Enrollment will be based upon matching tutors with students making a
reasonable commitment for specific days. We need teachers, substitute
teachers, experienced tutors and volunteers… for every adult, college
or high school student willing to make a commitment, we can enroll two
more students who need help.
Additional opportunities for help are available for individual tutoring
at the Greenville Public Library, and virtual tutoring at Empowering
Distance. This will be on a tutor available basis. Next summer we hope
the Edison State campus will once again be available for our summer
tutoring program.
Our challenges are not over, and likely won’t be for some time. Our
community has a stake in the education and future of our kids. Parents,
teachers, and administrative staff continue doing their best and will
continue successfully reaching the vast majority of students. We
continue to offer support to the students who need extra help. In 2016
we enrolled 39 students in our first After School Program. As of March
of this year, in all of our programs, we have worked nearly 20,000
hours with 869 students from every Darke County School District. We
aren’t going away.
How can you help? Just ask. We need volunteers. We need experienced
tutors and teachers. We are always seeking community leaders for our
Board of Directors… individuals who have a passion for our kids, want
to help us in our Mission, and can bring their unique abilities to the
table.
And – as always – we need your financial support. Our economy will
rebound. We will find a way to successfully deal with a new virus. Our
schools may be functioning differently, but will do so safely. We will
continue to adapt, and with your help, will continue to help students
struggling with their academics.
For more information, to donate, or to offer your help, contact me, or
any member of our Board, at empoweringyouth101@gmail.com or P.O. Box
1113, Greenville, Ohio 45331.
Thank you,
Bob Robinson
Executive Director
Empowering Darke County Youth Board of Directors
Eric Fee, President
Susi Halley, Vice President
Lyn Bliss, Treasurer
Rhonda Williams, Secretary
Kay Sloat, Director
Brittany Ulman, Director
Dr. Doreen Larson, Director
Jodi Harter, Director
Amanda Olson, Director
Delores Ely, Director
Chelsea Jones, Director
Melissa Eve, Director
Jerrod Newland, Director
The Empowering Mission: Empowering Darke County Youth provides After
School and Summer Tutoring programs to assist students in the areas of
language arts and math with the goal of Strong Students for a Strong
Community.
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