From the Director - Lautauscha Shell, MSWDear Parents/Guardians, The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction grants funding to the Kenosha Unified School District in partnership with community agencies like the Boys and Girls Club of Kenosha and the University of Wisconsin-Extension in order to facilitate 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CLC) throughout Kenosha. The program is intended to assist underserved populations in achieving academic and social success through high quality afterschool programs. The major focus of our afterschool program is to help students become high achievers. We strive to respond to their academic challenges as we utilize our certified KUSD teachers through a venue we call Power Hour. During Power Hour teachers work with small groups of students on concepts and skills that may have posed a challenge to them in the regular school day. Many students simply need additional time, small group tutoring, and alternative lesson designs in order to experience success. In addition to the certified KUSD teachers' roles in Power Hour, we utilize our well trained program specialists from the Boys and Girls Club of Kenosha to provide homework assistance to those who may not qualify for the small group tutoring. Power Hour has proven to help students in many areas as we invite you to visit the Annual Performance Review (APR) section of our web site. There you'll find results from 2010-2011 that show that CLC does make a difference in the lives of the students we serve both academically and socially. After a nutritious snack and Power Hour students are engaged in a variety of enrichment opportunities hosted by the Boys and Girls Club of Kenosha. These areas include: Character & Leadership, Fitness & Nutrition, Art, and Healthy Life Skills to name a few. Additionally, students have the opportunity to participate in organized sports: flag football, whiffle ball, soccer, basketball, rock climbing and swimming! You may ask if sports and enrichment opportunities have an impact on a student’s success. The answer is yes! Today’s life and work environments require more than content knowledge and in order for students to be prepared to compete in a global economy they must develop adequate life and career skills. No doubt, flexibility & adaptability, initiative & self direction, social & cross cultural skills, productivity & accountability, and leadership & responsibility are all skills that students acquire and develop on sports team and during enrichment activities. Without a doubt, these activities have a direct bearing on whether or not students are successful in the long run. Another CLC goal is to assist parents and those in the community and we do so by connecting with several community agencies. The Kenosha Unified School District partners with the Kenosha County Department of Human Services and many divisions within KUSD including Safe and Drug Free schools. We educate our parents on various topics and identify resources that could help them with their long and short term goals. I invite you to visit our website to learn more about the funding, partnerships, and results of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers in your area. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any information, please visit our office at 3600 52nd Street Kenosha, WI 53144 or call 262-359-7983. Thank you in advance! Signed, Lautauscha Shell, MSW Professional Affiliations
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21st Century Community Learning Centers |