Children are not falling behind, they are getting ahead!
Children who lack structure and guidance after school are at greater risk for falling behind in their academics and are more likely to make poor choices that could negatively impact their lives.
The Lily Mission Center provides safe, structured activities during non-school hours and ongoing interaction with caring adults. They maintain an environment that enhances the school experience and an opportunity for Jackson youth to give back to their community through volunteering. Most children attending the Lily Mission Center After School Program increase their math score, show improved reading fluency and increased reading comprehension. Additionally, all students volunteer for community service projects outside of the After School Program hours. The Lily Mission Center After School Program ensures at-risk youth in Jackson have an opportunity to succeed in life. Here’s one example of the impact and positive change that is being made in Jackson.
6 months ago a mother enrolled her Kindergartener. She was very behind in reading. In fact, she did not know most of her letter sounds and none of the blends. The two were considered homeless because they have been staying with various friends for several months. The first few days of the program, the little girl would look out the window and cry for her mom to come back. School work was not a focus for her. She had severe anxiety about her mother not coming back to get her. We came up with a plan to allow the child to call her mom on her cell phone to check in each time she completed a page of homework. We also used several learning games in order to teach her the letter sounds. We would allow her to call her mother after she learned 4 sounds. This worked like a charm. After several weeks, her anxiety subsided and she had to call her mom less and less. School became fun for her. Her mother told us that our After School Program became a safety net for her. It was where she could feel safe, get a good meal, and learn.
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