Seven Long Island organizations will divvy up nearly $9 million in state grants to increase access to affordable afterschool programs for children in high-need areas, state officials said.
The state Office of Children and Family Services awarded the grants under the Learning and Enrichment Afterschool Program Supports —or LEAPS — initiative. LEAPS seeks to support afterschool programs that provide academic assistance, social well-being, and community engagement for students and their families. Across New York, a total of nearly 240 afterschool programs were awarded the funding, which will help serve roughly 40,000 children, according to the state.
"Afterschool programs give our kids outlets to explore their creativity, build their skills and thrive in a supportive environment," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an announcement Thursday.
Enhanced programs
On Long Island, the programs to receive funding include the Boys and Girls Club of the Bellport Area, the Economic Opportunity Commission of Nassau County, Inc., the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc., Gateway Youth Outreach Inc., Morrison Mentors, Inc., Project MOST Inc., and West Islip Youth Enrichment Services, Inc.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Bellport Area said they will use the money to continue an afterschool program in conjunction with the South Country Central School District.
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The club seeks to increase the number of students who attend itsprogramfrom about 60 to closer to the capacity of 112 children, saidexecutive directorKim Livingston.
To do that, the club seeks to enhance afterschool programming by hiring an academic coordinator and increasing access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning through robotics, drone play, and other programming. The program costs $30 a day.
"We're actively working on helping them to achieve academically, giving them opportunity and access to programming resources that they may not have because parents don't have time, or maybe don't have the resources in order to do it," Livingston said.
Serving more children
At John M. Marshall Elementary School, nearly 150 students from pre-K to fifth grade participate in the Project MOST Inc. afterschool program located on the East Hampton campus.
With the LEAPS funding, Project MOST hopes to increase that number to 200 children, according to executive director Rebecca Morgan Taylor. The group also hopes to increase small-group tutoring for children getting additional support with reading and writing skills, as well as enrichment programs such as art classes orenvironmental education.
In collaboration with the Patchogue Medford Union Free School District, the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc., will use its grant money to operate afterschool programsatOregon Middle School, South Ocean Middle Schooland Saxton Middle School.
The programs are free and have a capacity of 70 students per site, according to Cynthia Amato, director of youth and adolescent services at the Council.
In Elmont, three Gateway Youth Outreach programs will receive funding to support afterschool services at Clara H Carlson School, Dutch Broadway School, and Gotham Avenue School.
Each site currently has about 200 childrenattendingdaily for $450 in annual tuition. The additional funding could more than double capacity and reduce tuition to $200 per year, said Patrick Boyle, executive director at Gateway Youth Outreach.
The funding will also go toward the hiring a social worker and conducting community service projects that give children a greater sense of belonging in the places they live, Boyle said.
Understanding family poverty
Officials at the Economic Opportunity Commission of Nassau County, which will use its portion of the grant money for three sites, said they hope the additional afterschool services will help them get to the root of family poverty.
"Once we help the academic and socialization issues with our young people, then we need to move into the family structure and help develop those," said Sal Bush, director of community action programs at the Economic Opportunity Commission of Nassau County.
The antipoverty agency hopes to open afterschool programs at David Paterson Elementary School, Barack Obama Elementary School and Joseph A. McNeil Elementary School — all in the Hempsteadschool district.
The organization partnered with the school district to identify locations based on the academic and financial needs of students and their families.
For instance, nearly 80% of the student body at Barack Obama Elementary School during the 2022-23 school year would be considered economically disadvantaged, according to state education data.
The three programs aim to serve as interventions that will give students academic support, nutritious meals, and other development. Afterschool staff will include certified family development workers, a parent liaison, and social workers to deal with trauma issues, the state said.
The Hempstead sites, which could open as soon as the end of November, will have room forroughly 300 students.
"We're looking to have a strong and enriched afterschool program that enriches not just the social aspect of children and their development but also academic achievement and growth in skills that they will need as they enter into the world and their careers," said Dr. Ira Gerald, program director for the LEAPs grant at the Economic Opportunity Commission of Nassau County.
By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith
tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com
@T_CusaacEducation: Howard University
Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.
Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation; New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting; Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.