2015 Kids on Campus Annual Report

AN APPALACHIAN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

Annual Report

2015

Programs that nourish kids’ bodies and minds.

empowering families inspiring dreams

KID Centered

Over the past four years I have seen the Kids on Campus afterschool and summer programs grow in number of students served and the quality of programing. This can be attributed mainly to our amazing staff, the superb support we receive from the College of Health Sciences and Professions and Dean Leite, and the terrific backing of our community and partners.

Our amazing staff includes Kids on Campus Assistant Program Manager Amanda Brooks, and program coordinators Crystal Smith, Jennifer Moore and Daniel Hinderliter. Through hard work, extensive research and a true passion for what they do, they have created a program with an enormous impact on the community. They understand community needs, and they have given their time and hearts to the students and families they serve.

These individuals, in addition to our newest coordinators, Holly Brooks, Jessica Funovits and Chris Fulk, are truly the driving force behind our program.

Although Kids on Campus has changed in many ways, one main goal has remained the same. We started as a Summer Food Service Program site and have continued to serve in that capacity for 19 years. We have also served hundreds of thousands of snacks during our afterschool program. While the needs remain high—at least three out of four students we serve qualify for free or reduced lunch—funding is becoming more scarce and harder to obtain.

As Kids on Campus prepares to handle funding uncertainties, add a new afterschool program, and respond to staff changes, we hope to retain the individual and community support needed to continue the exemplary programming that has made a difference in the lives of our children and families. We ask you to support Kids on Campus, whether through in-kind support from your organization, volunteering your personal time or contributing financially—your investment will have a far-reaching impact on our young people and their quality of life in the future.

As I prepare to enter this next stage of my life, I am confident that I leave Kids on Campus in excellent hands, with outstanding individuals and programs devoted to the future success of Southeast Ohio’s children.

Timarie Francis

Former KoC Program Manager

Facts

Figures

20,000

Minutes of extra reading and math help provided to children after school

5 9 , 1 0 0 USDA-qualified healthy snacks and meals served to participants in all programs

29,800 Hours of enrichment activity provided to local children over the summer

97%

Parents said their children were more prepared for the next school year after participating in the KoC afterschool program

Contents Message from Program Manager | 1 Afterschool Program | 5 Letters from Home | 7 Summer Program | 9 Call to Action | 11 Partners and Supporters | 13

Contact Us! For more information about Kids on Campus, contact the program at kids.on.campus@ohio.edu or 740.566.8543.

You can also visit us on the web at www.ohio.edu/kids.

Design and photography created by Lauren Dickey.

KoC Annual Report | 2

Members of the Kids on Campus staff are (back) Holly Brooks, Crystal Smith, Rebecca Miller, Daniel Hinderliter, Amanda Brooks, (front) Jessica Funovits, Jennifer Moore and Timarie Francis.

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

goals Provide children with the opportunity to enhance academic and life skills through high-quality out-of-school programming.

• Although open to all students, we give enrollment priority to children determined to be academically and/or economically at risk • Maintain or increase students’ mastery of concepts taught in reading, science, technology, engineering, math and medicine (STEM) • Continue expanding educational experiences to families, schools and communities • Demonstrate healthy approaches to resolving conflicts, solving problems and making decisions

Serve as a model program that will encourage and challenge other communities to develop partnerships to provide services for economically disadvantaged children.

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• Bring together educational institutions, businesses, agencies and community members to aid in the governance, implementation and evaluation of KoC programs • Provide transportation for all students who need it • Create and implement a multidisciplinary and multicultural curriculum • Provide nutritious meals and snacks to all participants • Ensure a safe environment for program participants

Secure the necessary funding to make programming available to all at-risk children and families.

• Diversify funding streams • Maintain and expand partnerships to leverage resources • Provide an annual report to stakeholders to justify continued funding • Develop a standing committee to promote stewardship and sustainability

90%

of summer participants qualified for free/reduced lunches

(254 children)

10%

above the reduced lunch threshold

(29 children)

Kid Strong Kids on Campus (KoC) concluded another successful year of afterschool programming in Athens and Perry Counties. We served more than 500 students from Athens City Schools, Federal Hocking Local, Trimble Local, Nelsonville-York and Southern Local school districts at nine different sites. The program was open to K –12 students, but each site had specific age restrictions. The program is funded through the Ohio Department of Education and its 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants, as well as a donation from Chuck and Judy Beck, and the College of Health Sciences and Professions.

KoC met its goal of providing each student in the program with a nutritious daily snack that met USDA standards. Students also learned about and prepared nutritious meals for their families at four family events held during the year. Finally, KoC works with our partner schools to be National School Lunch program sites, making sure that children in need have access to nutritious food.

Having students stay at least two additional hours after a full day of school does pose a challenge, but it continues to be a vital source of childcare to parents who work full time, cope with disabilities or serve as family caregivers, as well as a source of supplemental learning for the students. KoC makes every effort to provide age appropriate, fun and engaging activities—from welcoming presentations by visitors from local organizations, to multiple hands-on STEM activities that generate the desire to learn, to a partnership with the Dairy Barn Arts Center that gives students experience with different aspects and expressions of art.

It’s not all fun and games, though. KoC provides the academic support students need, as well. Each student participates in math and reading intervention programs tailored to their background, their needs and their individual level of experience. The intervention tools used are different from site to site to ensure the best fit with learning styles and educational level.

Students also receive homework support and assistance, which helps with both academic progress and family relationships. When students complete their school work at KoC, the family can spend quality time together in the evening instead of worrying or struggling over homework.

Finally, KoC provides wrap-around programming that allows students to participate in extracurricular activities. Understanding the importance to students of such interests as sports, music, theater and other afterschool pursuits led us to develop the wrap-around approach, which permits students to leave the program to attend practice, lessons or rehearsals and then return to KoC afterward.

Creating a unique program that maintains the quality that we and our partner schools have come to expect can be challenging, but KoC meets that challenge with a talented staff and imaginative programming to ensure that students and their families receive the emotional, social and academic support required to succeed.

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98% students reported that KoC helped them turn in their homework on time

78%

students reported that KoC helped them want to particapte more in class

84% students reported that KoC helped them behave better in class

88%

students reported that KoC helped them be more confident in math

KoC Annual Report | 6

Challenging Kids’ Minds We believe our ten-year-old son Gage has benefited greatly from the Kids on Campus programs. According to Gage, he enjoys the after-school program, where he gets to “play sports in the gym with his friends,” but as parents, we recognize that Gage has been much more willing to try new activities and foods, and to accept new ideas and experiences than he would have been before attending the program. We attribute this to Gage watching his peers engage in these activities and therefore being more willing to participate himself.

It has always been difficult to find challenging activities for Gage that maintain his interest and stimulate his busy mind, so it has been great watching him interact with the other children and participate in the varied activities. It has also been helpful to us that Gage receives assistance with his homework so that it is completed and ready for our review when he arrives home.

Summer KoC has been a wonderful opportunity for Gage to meet students from other schools and from diverse backgrounds.

We hope he will continue making new friends and life-long connections that he will remember forever.

Finally, KoC’s Family Fun Night activities have been entertaining for Gage and enjoyable for us as parents. Gage usually brings home some unique item from the Family Fun Night, from books to even new recipes and the fresh produce to make them with.

What a great idea!

Overall, Kids on Campus has been a unique experience for Gage, and we appreciate that he has been given this opportunity.

Many Thanks, Jason and Kara Schoonover 7 | KoC Annual Report

Building Kids Up I would like to thank Kids on Campus and the KoC staff at Trimble, where my daughter Alycia has been attending KoC for a couple of years now. She enjoys going to the after-school program; she loves the different activities and all the friends she has made, and the program has helped her with academic and social skills.

I think KoC is a great program, with staff members who help the children in a lot of different ways. I’ve met the KoC staff members and have found them to be very nice and very devoted to the kids. I have also enjoyed going to some of the family activities and having that time to do things with my daughter. Again, she loves KoC! Thank you, Marvin Nichols

Connect with Us!

Tell us how Kids on Campus has impacted you!

Write us a letter.

Email us.

Call us.

Grover Center W129C Athens, Ohio 45701

kids.on.campus@ohio.edu

740.566.8543

Kids on Campus hosted more than 300 students during its fiveweek summer camp on the Ohio University campus. This year the camp was divided into primary, middle, and teen groups, with each group having its own coordinator and track leaders who provided ageappropriate and engaging activities for the students.

Students in the primary and middle groups participated in reading, arts/cooking, STEM/nature, and team time/ recreation from Monday through Thursday. Then Friday they joined in field day activities in the morning and either attended a movie at the Athena Cinema or went swimming at the pool in the afternoon.

The teen camp focused on college and career options. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, students explored the options available on the Ohio University campus. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays, students traveled to Hocking College to learn about opportunities there.

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Kid

“

“

Q U E S T

Thank you for such an amazing program. Where we lived before there were no programs like this for children.

From Camper

to

Hi,

my name is Jordan Ostrander and I used to be one of the thousands of campers who have gone through Ohio University’s Kids On Campus program since it began 20 years ago, and though I am sure that my parents—who worked at the time—saw the program as indispensable childcare, it made an indelible impression on me in terms of how I see myself and the world, and what I have ended up choosing as a career path.

In the after-school and summer programs, we were all provided with one-on-one help with homework, access to stimulating cultural and recreational activities, and a predictable routine where we all gathered daily with committed people who made sure we were well cared for and well fed. For me, these things were a given with my family; at such a young age, you aren’t quite aware of different family dynamics and what “rich” and “poor” really mean. But now I realize that these things were a lifeline for some of the children attending.

One of the things that spurred that realization was working the past three years for the Kids on Campus summer program. It wasn’t until I started working for this amazing program that I realized there really are children out there who need the things that most of us take for granted—not just a “babysitter,” but a safe place, a food source and somewhere where they can learn that they’re valued and cared for. This program is so very important to the community—not just to build lasting friendships but to teach children life skills that will serve them throughout their lives.

It was pretty awesome to work for the program that gave me so much when I was a camper. I really felt like I was giving back to the community. I am currently a senior at Xavier University in Cincinnati, working towards a degree in early childhood education, and I probably wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t attended Kids on Campus. It has unquestionably influenced my career choice.

I and a multitude of other Kids on Campus alumni are living proof that “Nothing you do for a child is ever wasted.” I ask that you help keep this highly successful program open to future generations by donating to what has become a vital community resource.

Sincerely, Jordan Ostrander

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HELP TRANSFORM LIVES

College Student

Top: Jordan and two other camp counselors pose for a photo. Not only do counselors bond with the children, but they have the opportunity to bond with their peers.

Middle: Jordan works for KoC as a camp counselor where she leads a group of students.

Bottom: Jordan taught a third grade class for her Fall 2015 field placement.

Donors, Partners and Supporters COMMUNITY

Alexander Local Schools AmeriCorps Appalachian Peace and Justice Network Athena Cinema Athens City Schools Athens City-County Health Department Athens Community Center Athens County Child Advocacy Center Athens County Children Services Athens County Historical Society and Museum Athens County Humane Society Athens County Job and Family Services-WIA Program Athens County Public Libraries Athens County Sheriff’s Dept.

Athens Fire Department Beck, Charles and Judy Big Brothers Big Sisters of Athens County Bob Evans Farms Inc. Boyd, Roy Gene and Sara Casa Nueva Chauncey Dover Lions Club Community Food Initiatives Inc. Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development Couladis, Peter G. and Maria Dairy Queen, Glouster Doxsee, Gifford B. Eliason, Lenny, Athens County Commissioner Family of Diane Smathers Family Dollar, Glouster Federal Hocking Local Schools First Presbyterian Church of Nelsonville Grover, Ann

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Halliday, Mark and Rosser, Jill Health Recovery Services Inc. Hocking College - Dave Sagan Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action Hollen, Julie Holy Guacamole Hopewell Health Centers Jageman, Larry W. and M. Tracy Kiser’s BBQ Shack Knauerhause, Suzanne and Rinehart, William Knisely, Christine B. Live Healthy Appalachia McCoy, David O. Mitchell, Bruce A. Mohlenkamp, Adriane and Martin Movies Ten Moy, Paul W. Nelsonville Aquatic Center Nelsonville-York City Schools Oches, Barry Ohio Association of Food Banks Ohio Department of Education – Office of Federal Programs Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Pandya, Sneha Parsons, Thomas and Sharon Perry Behavioral Health Perry County District Library Perry County Waste Reduction and Recycling Petland Inc. Ping, Charles J. and Claire O. Play Soccer Appalachia Precision Imprint Purple Chopstix Remington, Brooke

ReUse Industries Riedel, Alan E. and Rudy P. Rocky Community Improvement Fund Rural Action Schumacher, Gary M. and Kathleen S. Sisters of St. Joseph Charitable Fund Smile Programs: the mobile dentist Smith, Charlotte & Gary Snowville Creamery Southern Local Schools, Perry County Southern Ohio Copperheads, presented by O’Bleness Memorial Hospital Stempell III, Guido and Anne Stuart’s Opera House Subway, The Plains & Glouster Sunday Creek Watershed Group Teske, Ann E. Texas Roadhouse The Athens Foundation The Athens Messenger The Athens News The Dairy Barn Arts Center The Laurels of Athens The Wilds Thompson, Brandon Torrence Family Touch the Earth Adventures Treehouse Treats and Treasures Trimble Local Schools USDA Summer Food Service Program Weinberg, Mark and Wanda Witham, Kevin Lee Wright-Stover, Patricia (In memory of Dr. Charles T. Wright)

OHIO UNIVERSITY

Alden Library Aquatic Center Atrium Café Bird Ice Arena Campus Involvement Center College of Health Sciences and Professions - Dean Randy Leite - Dr. Jennifer Horner - Dr. Cheryl Howe - Dr. Jim Montgomery COMCorps Dept. of Plant Biology Dept. of Social and Public Health -Kerri A. Shaw Finance and Administration Division Greek Life Hearing, Speech and Language Clinic Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Intercollegiate Athletics Kennedy Museum of Art LGBT Center Meteorological Society Office of Legal Affairs Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships Parking and Transportation Service Patton College of Education and Human Services - Marcy Keifer-Kennedy -Kevin Rice Police Department President’s Office - Dr. and Mrs. Roderick McDavis Upward Bound Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs

FEDERAL HOCKING LOCAL SCHOOLS ATHENS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

ALEXANDER LOCAL SCHOOLS TRIMBLE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT KoC Annual Report | 14

AN APPALACHIAN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

Contact Us!

For more information about Kids on Campus, contact the program at kids.on.campus@ohio.edu or 740.566.8543. You can also visit us on the web at www.ohio.edu/kids.

You can help nourish kids’ bodies and minds!

Learn more at www.ohio.edu/kids

empowering families inspiring dreams