Five-year grant adds to I.V. Boys & Girls Club programs
From our weekly issue dated January 27, 2010
Thanks to a five-year grant, the Cave Junction Section of Illinois Valley Boys & Girls Club at Evergreen Elementary School is now alive with activity well after the final bell has rung for the day.
A total of 15 classes are offered Mondays through Thursdays as part of the after-school program.
The classes cover such areas as health and life skills, arts, education and career development, sports, fitness and recreation. An added component is a hot meals program offered through the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, which last year served more than 10,000 dishes.
“We“re on track to way overdo that one this year,“ said Executive Director Scott Thornhill said.
The program“s winter session kicked off on Tuesday, Jan. 19, and will run until March.
“For the first day, it was well attended,“ Thornhill said.
Four adults were hired through a Jobs Plus program to aid in program implementation. They include Randy Keith, serving as athletic director, and 2008 Illinois Valley High School graduate Tammy Huntamer.
Huntamer first began going to the Boys & Girls Club in the third grade. She said that the program enables her to give back to the organization and the community.
“I always looked up to the staff here,“ she said. “They were good role models, and now I get to be a role model for the kids.“
Thornhill said that Keith has been a good addition, because the kids look up to him and respect him.
“He“s a definite kid magnet,“ Thornhill said.
Evergreen Schoolwide Coordinator Jannie Heller said that the program provides the children with more opportunities than they would have otherwise.
“It“s a fantastic thing for us,“ Heller said. “It provides a place for kids to go after school.“
Classes are taught by community members, who often are from groups that partner with the school and the club. Between six and 15 youth are in each class.
“It“s an opportunity for kids to experience something they haven“t experienced before,“ Heller said.
Patti Culver, from the Illinois Valley Arts Council, teaches art classes. Ned & Jennifer Wynant travel from Grants Pass to participate in a theater program.
Another community partner is the College Dreams program, which serves 32 children.
A total of 146 children have thus far participated in the program, which was made possible by a 21st Century Learning grant.
“The bottom line is, if we didn“t have the money, we wouldn“t be able to do this,“ Heller said.
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