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Arcanum-Butler
Middle School students work on math during an Empowering
Darke County Youth After
School session. Program Coordinator Jacie
Holman says her nine students are making “great progress.”
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Empowering
After School programs off to great start
DARKE COUNTY – Despite delayed starts due to Covid concerns, After
School Programs in three Darke County school districts are helping
students regain lost ground due to school closures in March. Some were
struggling prior to the closures; others fell behind following the
closures.
Arcanum-Butler Middle School started its Empowering After School
Program this fall. According to Program Coordinator Jacie Holman,
students have been working hard and showing great progress. Nine
students from grades five through eight were given the opportunity to
work on math and language arts twice a week in a classroom format After
School Program.
“Fifth graders have been focusing on vocabulary, and math through Khan
Academy,” Holman said. “Sixth through eighth graders are focusing
primarily on math and progress has been tremendous.” A sixth grader has
made a “huge turnaround,” she continued, while two others have done an
“outstanding job” on their multiplication facts. Some with a history of
not turning work in are now turning it in.
“Seventh grade students have been looking at proportions and applying
math to the real world!” Growth has been “tremendous,” she added. And
an eighth grade student has discovered he actually CAN do math!
Holman is excited about the program and hopes to expand it later in the
year.
According to Ansonia Program Coordinator Kathy Swabb, their After
School Program has been focusing mostly on younger students regaining
lost ground due to the March school closures.
“We have two third graders, who didn't participate last year, that are
really enthusiastic about coming since they get one-on-one (one student
to one volunteer) help with their reading and math,” she said. “We also
have four first graders who didn't get to finish Kindergarten. They are
working on counting, reading, and writing to get them caught up to
where they should be in the school year.”
Ansonia is working with 14 students, grades one through five, all of
whom are showing progress working with their Ansonia High School
volunteers. This is Ansonia’s second year of providing Empowering After
School Program support.
Under the supervision of Greenville Program Coordinator Kay Sloat, 18
Greenville Elementary students, grades 1-3, have been receiving
one-on-one help from volunteer Edison State students. One Edison
volunteer referred to the program as an “Amazing project.” Volunteers
commented on the growth of the students they worked with as well as
their own growth, noting almost exclusively that it was a rewarding
experience.
While academic growth took place with every student who was able to
attend regularly, two second grade students stood out. At the beginning
of the program they struggled reading the simplest first grade text. By
the time the program wrapped up for the holidays, they were not only
reading closer to their level but were able to discuss what they
learned from the text.
The Empowering After School concept is simple. Students get an extra
hour of focused help two days a week in an academic area in which they
are struggling. District teachers and staff lead some programs, while
others support Empowering tutors with recommendations and help with
lesson plans.
Even with school closings in March, Covid restrictions and delayed
starts this fall, 199 students received 1,621 hours of academic help
from 55 volunteers on three campuses plus the Greenville Library in
2020. Since 2016, when the organization was formed, Empowering Darke
County Youth has provided over 20,000 hours of academic help to 972
students. About a third of that help has come from Edison State and
district high school volunteers.
Find out how you can help by going to
http://www.empowerdarkecounty.com/, emailing
empoweringyouth101@gmail.com, Facebook Empowering Darke County Youth or
mailing P.O. Box 1113, Greenville, Ohio 45331.
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