Maryland Center's Afterschool Program Focuses on Learning and Achieves Positive Results

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Lanham, MD—Every day, at least eight million children and youth are left alone and unsupervised once school is dismissed. Without structured, supervised activities, these students are at greater risk of being victims or perpetrators of crime and engaging in a range of other antisocial behaviors including alcohol and drug use.

Afterschool programs are one way to ensure that children and youth make the most of their afterschool hours. A joint report from the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice shows that students in afterschool programs exhibit fewer behavioral problems, better ability to handle conflicts, and improved self-confidence. Simply put, afterschool programs provide structured activities that teach children and youth new skills, help them strengthen existing skills, enhance academic achievement, and develop into responsible adults.

The staff of the Glenarden Apartments H.O.P.E. and Resource Center has witnessed firsthand the positive effects of an afterschool program. Their quality afterschool programs are keeping children and youth of their Maryland community safe and engaged in activities that help them learn and decrease delinquency. From art classes, Job Corp, and Even Start, to peer educator certification, study hall, and computer tutorials, this Neighborhood Networks center offers a variety of age-appropriate programs. Its Focus on Learning program is one of its premier afterschool programs.

A World of Books

In the summer of 2005, Jan Hagey, a community volunteer and employee with the National Education Association, heard that the Glenarden Apartments H.O.P.E. and Resource Center was revitalizing its programs and services. As an active participant of a summer reading program at the Greater Mount Nebo African-American Episcopal Church in Bowie, Maryland, that challenged children and youth in the community to read 1,000 books for the summer, Hagey wanted to put her experience to work and start a similar program at the Glenarden Apartments H.O.P.E. and Resource Center.

Hagey discussed the idea with Center Director Essie Willis, who wholeheartedly agreed. "I thought it was an excellent idea and felt that we needed to have Jan on board," explained Willis. "Jan is well-known for her innovative programs and her love for volunteerism and helping children improve academic achievement. We asked her to join us at the center, and she said 'yes.'"

Willis and staff incorporated the reading challenge as a component of the center's 2005 summer camp on reading. Hagey registered young residents ages 5 to 12, and assigned them a certain number of books to read each week. The H.O.P.E. and Resource Center had received a variety of books for their reading program from First Book, a nonprofit organization that provides new books to children in need in an effort to foster literacy. These included Dr. Seuss, Bluford series of books, educational, recreational, life-enhancing, self-improvement, fiction, non-fiction, science, and science fiction genres.

Hagey met with the children every Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to discuss the books they read. With a goal of 1,000 books to read, Hagey created and displayed a reading thermometer that kept a weekly count of the books the participants had read, and maintained the students' enthusiasm.

Hagey's success prompted the center staff to think of additional ways they could have her work with young residents on a more permanent basis to enhance overall academic enrichment. Their brainstorming lead to the creation of the Focus on Learning program, which was officially launched in the fall of 2005.

Making Learning Fun

Held every Monday from 3:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., the Focus on Learning program separates students into four groups: pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade; second and third grade; fourth through sixth grade; and seven through ninth grade. Sessions are scheduled for higher grades upon request. Each group meets for 45 minutes and engages in age-appropriate activities, including vocabulary building, reading, arts and crafts, spelling, penmanship, multiplication hip hop, and recreational games.

"Our children really enjoy being a part of this program," said Willis. "Each month has a different theme that ties into all of the learning activities. For example, February is Black History Month and Valentine's Day; December is Christmas; July is Independence Day; October is Halloween; and April is Easter. During that month, our reading, spelling, vocabulary building activities, and crafts focus on those themes. In February, children read about African-American pioneers, and make Valentine's hearts and cards. In other months, they may be asked to spell the names of the founding fathers and other famous American figures, or they may make Christmas ornaments, jack-o-lanterns and masks, and Easter bunnies and baskets. The Focus on Learning program makes learning relevant and fun."

In addition to the monthly themes, the Focus on Learning curriculum also incorporates cultural themes. The students read about the different cultures, and then all of the activities focus on aspects of that culture. The students learn about native cuisine, music, art, dress, language, and more. These various aspects of the culture are incorporated into their art projects and their spelling.

Becoming a Positive Statistic

The success of the children and youth in the Glenarden Apartments H.O.P.E. and Resource Center's afterschool programs supports nationwide statistics about the positive impact of afterschool programs. "Children in our program have moved from having low grades to the honor roll," said Willis. "Those who were failing are now passing. Their reading skills have improved greatly, which is supported by the higher reading grades on their report cards. Their penmanship is improving, and they are more confident, better team players, and more respectful of their peers. Parents are excited about the improvement in their children's behavior and in their academic life."

For more information about Neighborhood Networks centers in Maryland, contact:

Debra Walker
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Baltimore Multifamily Hub
10 South Howard Street, Fifth Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 209-6605

Diana Gaither
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Baltimore Multifamily Hub
10 South Howard Street, Fifth Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 209-6534

For more information about the Glenarden Apartments H.O.P.E. and Resource Center, contact:

Essie Willis
Center Director
Glenarden Apartments H.O.P.E. and Resource Center
3030 Brightseat Road, Suite 201
Lanham, MD 20706
(301) 322-5365