After School Program, School's Out Fun Club Offer Safety and Learning

By: Megan Johnson - Email

Updated: Tue 9:42 PM, Aug 21, 2012

Schools Out Fun Club
Contact the YMCA
at 308.395.9622

F.U.E.L. After School
Educational Program
Knickrehm, Wasmer,
Dodge, Lincoln, Starr
Contact CLC Program
Director Tiffany Sedano
at 308.380.5514

Even when school is out, kids at Dodge, Lincoln, Wasmer, and Knickrehm Elementaries are still learning thanks to GIPS and the Grand Island YMCA.

"We provide an after school program where children can get help with their homework and then also additional academic help if they have areas they need help in," says CLC After School Program Director Tiffany Sedano.

While keeping kids on track is the goal of FUEL (Fun, Unbeatable, Educational, Learning), Sedano says it helps parents know their kids aren't somewhere they shouldn't be.

"We can help them academically if there's areas that they need help in, and it also provides a safe place, a safe environment for them to be in," she says.

Sedano says they're bringing FUEL to Starr Elementary this year, and with Starr students also moving to the continuous calendar, scheduling can be a little bit tricky.

But the YMCA also has another program to help parents of those year round students out when it comes to breaks.

"It makes it very difficult for parents when the school break is different than the other traditional schools because people offer day care for the traditional schools, but now this year-round school makes it kind of difficult for parents to find day care," says Jean Munn, YMCA Assistant Director of Child Care.

Munn says the "School's Out Fun Club" keeps kids engaged and active when school isn't in session, and now they're offering more days for GI's continuous calendar schools.

"I just think that it's a relief for a lot of parents that they have a place for their children to go that they know is safe and we offer a nice safe environment here," says Munn.

Nebraska Lawmakers Push Toward Session's End