In the News
Churches may help with after-school program
By Angelia Davis - STAFF WRITER
adavis@greenvillenews.com
(Source: G’ville News)
PELZER - Children at Sue Cleveland Elementary could get new, safe places to go for play, tutoring, and learning after school lets out.
Two southern Greenville County churches plan to partner with Sue Cleveland Elementary School to offer an after-school program.
The Rev. Dr. Michael Wolfe, pastor at Augusta Road United Methodist Church, said his church and Valley Brook Outreach Baptist Church, both on Augusta Road, will offer the programs to 5K and first-grade students.
The two churches, located across the highway from each other, would take in about 40 children from 3 to 5:30 p.m. for snacks, playtime, tutoring, homework and possibly special programs such as music, arts, and Spanish, he said. The program would be free.
It's a project that's going to get children help and bring them up where they need to be educationally, said Theresa Fowler, site coordinator at Valley Brook.
"I think it's going to be an awesome, awesome program," Fowler said.
Wolfe said the after-school care is dependent on funding through Sue Cleveland Elementary's pursuit of more federal dollars in a 21st Century Learning Center grant.
If the money is awarded, children would be bused to the churches, Wolfe said. The children would also spend time at Sue Cleveland, said Virginia Chambers, the school's principal.
Fowlers said with or without funding through the grant, Valley Brook will have an after-school program because there aren't any such programs in the area.
"We had already written a proposal and we were going to run the program anyway, but with the grant everything just kind of came up at the same time. It was God who brought everything together," she said.
Chambers said they should know about the funding status at the end of this month.
The program is being drawn from a need for quality after-school care in the community.
"Parents were looking for a place where kids can have structure and be safe. We're trying to provide several opportunities for them and build some partnerships through faith-based community philosophy, which is an indicator of effective schools," she said.
We're attempting to make those connections and those links with community in a lot of ways," she said. The after-school programs at the churches are just one way "we're hoping to come full circle for us and provide kids with an extended great place to learn after school."