2006 Kids on Campus Annual Report

AN ATHENS COUNT Y COMMUNIT Y PARTNERSHIP • 2006 ANNUAL REPORT

College of Health and Human Services

WHO’S WHO

ABOUT KIDS ON CAMPUS

Staff

Our mission Kids on Campus is a rural partnership that empowers underserved, at-risk children and their families in the realization of their full potential through educational, nutritional and recreational opportunities.

Guiding the organization are the beliefs that every child has the potential to succeed, education is the key to the future, and a supportive home and community environment is essential to achieving educational and social potential.

Executive Director Leslie Moss Assistant Program Director Marilyn Wentworth Education Coordinators Ellen Botkin Misty Cole Jennifer Cooper Carrie Hiestand Paul Kristofco Stefanie Powell This report is published annually to summarize the accomplishments of the Summer and Before and Afterschool programs of Kids on Campus. The organization is a community partnership involving a wide range of individuals and organizations,including the Alexander, Athens City and Federal Hocking local school districts, Athens County Department of Job and Family Services, JPMorgan CHASE Foundation, Ohio University’s College of Health and Human Services, and many others. ©2007 by the Ohio University College of Health and Human Services Editor Jody Grenert Art Director Julie Elman Photographers and Artists Jennifer Cooper, Jody Grenert, Paul Kristofco and the KoC children Correspondence regarding Kids on Campus can be sent to: Leslie Moss, executive director Kids on Campus W361 Grover Center Athens, OH 45701-2979 Telephone: 740-593-9703 E-mail: mossl@ohio.edu Ohio University is an Affirmative Action institution.

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Our goals  Provide low-income, at-risk children with the opportunity to enhance academic and life skills

through high-quality out-of-school programming.  Give priority enrollment (75 percent) to children determined to be academically at risk or whose families qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches.  Bring together educational institutions, businesses, agencies and community members to aid in the governance, implementation and evaluation of Kids on Campus programs.  Provide transportation for all students who need it.  Create and implement a multidisclipinary and multicultural curriculum.  Maintain or increase students’ mastery of concepts taught in read-

ing and mathematics.  Serve as a model program that will encourage and challenge other communitiestodeveloppartnerships to provide services for economically disadvantaged children.  Continue expanding educational experiences to families, schools and communities.  Provide nutritious meals and snacks to all participants.  Demonstrate healthy approaches to resolving conflicts, solving problems and making decisions.  Ensure a safe environment for the program.  Secure the necessary funding to make Kids on Campus programming available to all at-risk children and families.

W H AT ’ S I N S I D E Contents Message from the executive director | 3 Before and Afterschool Program | 4-7 Summer Program | 8-11 Program partners and supporters | 12 What’s ahead | 13 Photo gallery | 14, 15 On the Web For more information about Kids on Campus, go to: http://www.cats.ohiou.edu/kids/index.html

Acknowledgements Much of the information for this report was gleaned from two lengthy studies undertaken

by Ohio University’s Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development, or ILGARD, a unit of the Voinovich Center for Leadership and Public Affairs. ILGARD provides applied research and technical assistance to government and development organizations. In compiling its studies, the ILGARD team conducted site visits, interviewed program participants and analyzed data from surveys and tests.

A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

With help of others, we expanded our reach A

s I entered my third year as executive director of Kids on Campus (KoC), I came to learn that the only constant is change, and more often than not, that change is a good thing.

An example is the program’s dramatic growth during 2005-06.

Leslie Moss We obtained additional funding to expand afterschool services to include Trimble Elementary School. With this addition, we increased the number of children in our six afterschool programs to more than 350.

The afterschool programs continued to evolve, adding homework coordinators to oversee the academic segment of the program. And it helped. The percentage of teachers reporting that KoC participants improved their academic performance rose to 63 percent, up from 56 percent the previous year The KoC Summer Program grew as well, expanding to include teens Teens on Campus enrolled 75 youths from ages 12 to15. They took part in activities offered by faculty and staff at Ohio University and Hocking College. The program’s goal was to demystify the college experience

and expose participants to potential career options. The response from the teens was extremely positive. I was touched by the hugs shared and tears shed on the last day of camp as the youths said goodbye to each other and the staff. Several older ones asked if they could return next summer as staff members.

Also in the summer program, we provided the 175 children ages 8 to 11 the opportunity to choose from a variety of activity tracks in the CHASE Intermediate Camp. While all received nutritious meals and participated in literacy programming, recreation, field trips, health screenings and swimming, the children could choose to focus in one of three areas: the arts, technology, or space and natural science. In the Primary Camp, the 75 kids aged 5 to 7 enjoyed a program filled with similar activities, but they were led by certified teachers who integrated the various component areas into their daily routines. The kids and their parents evaluated the programs highly, with 93 percent of the grownups reporting that their children are more prepared for the upcoming school year by participating in KoC. Once again, these successes wouldn’t have been possible without the support of KoC’s donors, part-

ners and friends. Many have been behind the program since its inception 12 years ago, and we continue to expand our base of support, allowing us to grow and improve. We sincerely appreciate our supporters, old and new, who have demonstrated their commitment to preparing our area’s youth to be successful in school and in life.

The Kids on Campus staff, from left: Jennifer Cooper, Tina Lenigar, Marilyn Wentworth, Ellen Botkin, Stefanie Powell, Carrie Hiestand, Leslie Moss, Paul Kristofco and Misty Cole.

Sincerely,

Leslie Moss, executive director

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BEFORE AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM: OVERVIEW

Homework assistance, health are key goals M

ore than 350 children in first through fifth grades participated in the Kids on Campus Before and Afterschool Program during the 2005-2006 school year, most of whom qualified for free or reducedprice lunches.

With the addition of Trimble Elementary in Glouster, the program now operates at six schools. The others are Alexander Elementary in Albany; Amesville, Chauncey and Coolville elementaries in those cities; and West Elementary in Athens.

The program began in 1998 but underwent a two-year hiatus from 2001 to 2003 due to a funding loss. The majority of its funding is from federal 21st Century Community Learning Center Grants administered through the Ohio Department of Education.

While all six schools offer afterschool programming, only Amesville, Chauncey, Coolville and West operated before-school sessions.

Each school’s program has a coordinator and 20-30 part-time tutors and program assistants who range in age from university students to retirees.

The Before and Afterschool Program’s core mission is providing tutoring and homework assistance, and each school devoted at least 45 minutes each day in this area. Each

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school’s program also included enrichment activities and healthy snacks.

Health education was an important part of the year’s programming, which included a curriculum known as the Coordinated Approach to Child Health, or CATCH. The program emphasized nutrition knowledge, skills and self-reliance, and were often overseen by a volunteer from ComCorp, the community service program sponsored by Ohio University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Each program site pursues a different schedule that reflects differing school timetables and needs within its community. The afterschool activities provide children with a variety of enrichment experiences including art, multicultural activities, cooking, dancing, yoga, physical exercise and numerous recreational opportunities.

The program was created to help children who, despite the diligent efforts of their families and schools, need additional assistance and activities to meet state mandatory testing requirements and become proficient readers, writers and problem-solvers. These students work best in the small-group learning environments that Kids on Campus operates at its member schools for 30 weeks of the school year.

B E F O R E A N D A F T E R S C H O O L P R O G R A M : I M PA C T

Stress on academics shows positive results S 87% everal academic tests and surveys were conducted during the 30week schedule to evaluate the program and the children’s learning progress.

Surveys of KOC students’ parents and teachers were conducted by Ohio University’s Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development, or ILGARD, which provides applied research and technical assistance to government and development organizations. In addition, the children took standardized tests aimed at measuring improvements in reading and math skills.

At right are highlights of these surveys and tests.

of the students showed an increase in word-recognition skills, as measured by the Slosson Oral Reading Test. This was a 10 percent increase over the previous year’s results.

64%

of elementary school teachers said the KOC participants in their classrooms had shown improvement in turning in homework on time. This was a 5 percent increase over the previous year’s results.

64%

of elementary school teachers said the KOC participants in their classrooms had shown improvement completing homework to the teacher’s satisfaction.

63%

of elementary school teachers said the KOC participants in their classrooms had shown improvement in classroom academic performance. This was a 7 percent increase over the previous year’s reults.

80%

of parents agreed that their child does better in school when attending the program.

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BEFORE AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM: THE SCHOOLS

Each school takes its own path to success

ALEXANDER ELEMENTARY

AMESVILLE ELEMENTARY

CHAUNCEY ELEMENTARY

Address: 6105 School Road, Albany, OH 45710 Coordinator: Carrie Hiestand, who has a

Address: SR 329 N, Amesville, OH 45711 Coordinator: Jennifer Cooper, who has an

Address: 21 Birge Drive, Chauncey, OH 45719 Coordinator: Stefanie Powell, who has a bachelor

bachelor of arts, joined the program in fall 2005.

Before that she worked at River Valley Community School in Athens.

Program began: 2004 Children enrolled: 65 total; 13 first-graders; 22 second-graders; 10 third-graders; 13 fourthgraders; 7 fifth-graders.

Brief program description: Daily activities included snack time, recess, enrichment classes and a tutoring session. Enrichment classes varied throughout the year. Topics included sign language, creative writing, computers, an “around the world” activity, environmental recreation, conflict resolution, activity room and clay projects. The program also included family events such as a homecoming parade, Hocking College Night Hike, Family Fun Day, Fred Garbo Inflatable Theater, an Ohio University basketball game and a talent show.

associate’s degree in applied sciences from Hocking College, joined the program in 2001 as an AmeriCorps member with Kids on Campus. In 2003, she accepted her current position.

Program began: 2003 Children enrolled: 60 total; 7 first-graders; 9 second-graders; 12 third-graders; 16 fourth-graders; 16 fifth-graders Brief program description: The children engaged in yoga, walking, Spanish, Super Kids (healthy food and lifestyle choices), computers, art, crafts, fishing, recreation, space activities, visits from OU international students and the Hip Hop Congress, and letterboxing. The program also partnered with the Essentially Appalachian Network to sponsor “Amesville’s Appalachian Afternoon” in which the entire school was invited to celebrate the unique culture and history that Amesville offers. Activities included a stew dinner made by students, a scavenger hunt, learning about local flora and fauna, playing with old-fashioned toys, and taking the “How Appalachian Are You?” quiz.

of business administration, joined the program in May 2003. Before that she was a reading tutor with AppalCORPS, an AmeriCorps program, and a member of the tax staff at Deloitte & Touche.

Program began: 2003 Children enrolled: 64 total; 10 first-graders; 12 second-graders; 12 third-graders; 13 fourth-graders;3 fifth-graders; 14 sixth-graders.

Brief program description: The children began each afternoon with a healthy snack and time to relax. Children worked on homework Mondays through Thursdays. They spent the remainder of their time in enrichment activities that involved art, recreation, science, computers and cooking. Special events included a dinner cooked and served by the students to their families, movie night, and a Lights On! Family Event to raise awareness of the importance of afterschool programs. All students received reading help on Tuesdays and Thursdays, some working with tutors from Ohio University in the Chauncey Elementary Literacy Partnership.

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BEFORE AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM: THE SCHOOLS

Trimble Elementary is sixth to join lineup

COOLVILLE ELEMENTARY

TRIMBLE ELEMENTARY

WEST ELEMENTARY

Address: 26461 Main Street, Coolville, OH 45723 Coordinator: Paul Kristofco, who has a bachelor of

Address: Rt. 3 18500 Jacksonville Road, Glouster,

Address: 41 Central Avenue, Athens Coordinator: Ellen Botkin, who has a bachelor’s

arts in history from Ohio University and is finishing a master’s in teacher’s education, joined the program in February 2005. Before that he worked at River Valley Community School in Athens.

Program began: 2002 Children enrolled: 59 total; 13 first-graders; 10 second-graders; 11 third-graders; 12 fourth-graders; 13 fifth-graders Brief program description: Children started the afternoon with a nutritious snack and a brief recess period to expend energy. Then they either went to homework help sessions or enrichment activities. After forty minutes, the groups switched to the other activity. Enrichment sessions included the CATCH recreation program, photo club, computer work with the Study Island program, visits from special guests, and arts and crafts. Children also worked with a remediation program called Great Leaps to help prepare them for state proficiency tests. A unique aspect of programming was a photo project in which children kept a visual record of their year.

Coordinator: Misty Cole, who has an associate’s

OH 45732 degree, joined the program in summer 2005.

Before that she was a family support specialist at Athens Head Start.

Program began: 2005 Children enrolled: 60 in first through fourth grades Brief program description: Each afternoon, children enjoyed a nutritious snack and physical activity. They were then offered a choice of enrichment activities including moviemaking, computer/ technology, reader’s theater, cooking, Second Step Conflict Resolution and art. Special events included a nutrition luau, family movie night, and a Lights On! Afterschool Awareness Event in which children prepared nutritious snacks for their guests.

degree in sociology from Ohio University, joined the program in May 2003. Before that she worked at Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Athens County.

Program began: 2003 Children enrolled: 63 total; 14 first-graders, 13 second-graders, 16 third-graders, 9 fourth-graders, 7 fifth-graders, 4 sixth-graders.

Brief program description: Homework assistance and enrichment activities were the main focus. Enrichment activities included cooking, arts and crafts, playing outside or in the gym, computers and board games. On Mondays and Wednesdays, students participated in Creation Station, a choice-based activity room where they could move from activity to activity at their own pace during the 45-minute bloc of time. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, students participated in recreation.

Favorite games included Spiders and Flies and Line Tag. On Fridays, special presenters visited. These included a snake handler from Hocking College and international students from Ohio University.

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SUMMER PROGRAM: OVERVIEW

Fun, exercise mixed with dose of learning K

ids on Campus completed its 11th year of summer programming in 2006 with a session that drew 321 children, most of whom qualified for free or reduced-price school lunches.

The six-week program took place on Ohio University’s Athens campus from June 19 through July 28 and divided children into four age groups: Bobcat Camp for those entering first or second grade; Explorer Camp for those entering third or fourth grade; Adventure Camp for those entering fifth or sixth grade; and Teens on Campus, a new program this year, for those entering seventh through 10th grades.

Following are highlights of the overall program. Details on the program’s results and the activities for both age groups are on the next few pages.  Participants took part in activities that included reading, math, science, technology,health,conflictresolution, swimming and community service.  The program organized weekly picnics on the College Green that included magic shows, juggling and musical performances. Weekly field trips sent participants to lakes, state parks, heritage farms, museums and art shows.

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 Each child in the program

received a new pair of shoes from athletics company K-Swiss, and most received a free book, thanks to a donation from Borders and the literacy group Appalachia Reads.  About a quarter of the children who began the program had special needs ranging from attention deficit disorder to hearing impairment.

Some had aides assigned to them during portions of the day.  Most children in the program rode the buses that Kids on Campus provided, and 61 percent of participating families said that without bus transportation, they would not have been able to take part in the program.  With the help of Ohio University Dining Services, the program provided breakfast, lunch and snacks.  Median family income of participating students was $22,500, with 44 percent earning less than $20,000 per year.  Students came to the program from all five school districts in Athens County, with the Athens City School District accounting for about half of participants.  A survey showed that 98 percent of parents rated the summer program as either above average or excellent.

S U M M E R P R O G R A M : I M PA C T

Keeping kids engaged and reading helps A

series of reading tests and surveys were conducted during the six-week schedule to evaluate the program and the children’s learning progress.

One survey, conducted by Ohio University’s Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development, polled 84 parents and caregivers about outcomes of their children’s involvement in the program.

The children also took tests aimed at measuring word-recognition and fluency: the Slosson Oral Reading Test (SORT) and the Complexity, Accuracy, fluency Evaluation (CAFE).

Following are highlights of these surveys and tests.

61%

of parents reported that their child’s reading skills had improved.

“It’s cool because I get to know what it is going to be like when I go to college. I feel better to actually know where to go when I go to this college.”

— Student

74%

percent of parents reported that they believed their child’s social skills had improved.

93%

of parents reported that their child was more prepared for the coming school year after attending the program.

96% program.

of parents said their child liked the

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SUMMER PROGRAM: ACTIVITIES

Health and wellness is a central theme T

he health and wellness specialist for the Kids on Campus Summer Program planned activities that were developmentally appropriate for the four age groups in the program.

Following are highlights of each group’s activities:  The Bobcats, children entering first or second grade, identified food items and classified them into one of the five food groups. They also discussed serving sizes and heart-healthy foods  The Explorers, children entering third or fourth grade, accessed an interactive Internet site that helped them learn the food pyramid, sometimes with games that helped reinforce what they had learned.

Students also stretched and participated in relaxation exercises.  The Adventurers, children entering fifth or sixth grade, identified food and classified it

into food groups. They also played a game called food bingo to help reinforce their knowledge of food groups. In addition, they accessed an interactive Internet site that helped them learn about combination foods — those that are made up of foods in more than one food group.  Teens on Campus participants, those entering seventh through 10th grades, accessed an interactive Internet site and discussed their eating habits, physical history and family history. They also developed personal eating and exercise plans, as well as ways to keep track of these plans .  All age groups participated in physical activities that encouraged interaction among members of the group. Games included relay races, kickball, ultimate Frisbee, tag, catch spud, mummy wrap and water ballon toss.

“It was actually pretty fun because you get to meet new friends and you can write them letters and call them and stuff like that.” — Teens on Campus participant

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SUMMER PROGRAM: ACTIVITIES

Choice of subjects keeps students on track T

he Explorer and Adventurer camps were divided into three topic areas for the entire six-week program: art, technology and science. The children were given the opportunity to choose the topic area that interested them most.

Children in these two age groups, which included those entering the third through six grades, composed about half the total attending the program.

Following are the activities for each group:  Art: Students learned about and practiced with watercolors, cardboard construction, printmaking, clay sculpture, illustrating and puppetry.  Technology: Students learned about and practiced with computers construction and programming; weather experiments; rockets and aviation; digital filmmaking and photo editing; electrical ciruitry and robots; and Web site design.  Space and science: Students learned about and practiced with lunar cycles, the Solar System, gravity, rocket propulsion, spaceship construction, charactistics of a vacuum in space, and the Space Station.

“It gives kids a chance to interact with other children, rather than sitting in the house watching TV all day.”

— Parent

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D O N O R S , PA R T N E R S A N D S U P P O R T E R S

Community effort keeps program thriving

The JPMorgan CHASE Foundation presented Kids on Campus with a $90,000 check to help fund its Summer Program. From left are Jack Lyttle;hisfather,Jeff,aCHASErepresentative;LeslieMoss,KoCexecutive director; and Gary Neiman, dean of the College of Health and Human Services

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COMMUNITY

OHIO UNIVERSITY

Alexander Local School District Athens City Schools Athens County Cooperative Extension Service Athens County Department of Job and Family Services Athens County Health Department Athens Dental Depot The Athens Foundation Athens Government Access Television The Athens News Bank One Bob Evans Farms Church of the Good Shepherd COAD Child Care Resource Network COAD Foster Grandparent Program Corporation for National Service Dairy Barn Southeast Ohio Cultural Arts Center Federal Hocking Local School District Don and Mary Anne Flournoy Health Recovery Services Larry’s Dawg House Mobile Dentistry Program Ohio University Credit Union The Plains Self Storage Precision Imprint ReUse Industries Shawnee State University Sisters of Saint Joseph Charitable Fund Southern Ohio Copperheads Baseball Ann Teske USDA Summer Food Program …and many other generous community members

Airport Alden Library Appalachia Reads College of Education College of Fine Arts College of Health and Human Services Computer Network Services Eastern Campus Hearing, Speech and Language Clinic Hudson Health Center Intercollegiate Athletics Legal Affairs Office of Finance Office of Financial Aid Office of Institutional Equity Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Office of University Events Police Department Anita Louise Steele, School of Music WOUB Radio & Television

KOC ADVISORY BOARD Karen Boch, Alexander Local School District Kathy Bowyer, Athens County Children’s Services Linda Burson, Federal Hocking Local School District Debbie Guess, parent representative Cindy Johnston, Trimble Local School District Tracy Leinbaugh, Ohio University Gary Neiman, Ohio University Nancy Nottke, community representative Greg Oberlin, community representative Sharon Parsons, Athens City School District

LOOKING AHEAD

Expansion, evolution and evaluation  Thanks to funding provided by the Athens Coun-

ty Department of Job and Family Services, Kids on Campus has expanded its Before and Afterschool Program to include Trimble Elementary School.

This means that beginning with the 2005-2006 school year, the program is providing much-needed services to six Athens County elementary schools, serving more than 300 children in five of the six county school districts. Trimble will be featured in the 2006 annual report.  Administration of the AppalCORPS tutoring program is being transferred to the Ohio University College of Education’s Literacy Center.

While KOC has administered this program for

the past two years, the program’s focus is more closely aligned with the Literacy Center’s programs. AppalCORPS members will continue to work in the KOC Summer Program.  KOC will focus on evaluating the quality of its services. The organization will participate in a project, sponsored by the state Ohio Afterschool Initiative, that will provide specialized technical assistance to support KOC efforts to continue incorporating “best practices” into the programs offered to children and their parents.  KOC will continue to incorporate more health and wellness activities into programming for children and their families. These will include

nutrition/cooking classes, recreational opportunities and informational sessions on making healthy lifestyle choices.  Every effort will be made to bring back programming for middle school-aged children as part of the Summer Program. Due to funding constraints, this program was eliminated in summer 2005, disappointing families with children in this age group. While it may be necessary to serve fewer than the 200 children who were enrolled in 2004, KOC is working to reinstate the program to meet this identified need.

— Leslie Moss, KOC executive director

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PHOTO GALLERY: BEFORE AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM

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PHOTO GALLERY: SUMMER PROGRAM

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Correspondence regarding Kids on Campus can be sent to: Leslie Moss, executive director Kids on Campus W361 Grover Center Athens, OH 45701-2979 Telephone: 740-593-9703

College of Health and Human Services