Faith-Based After School Programs:
A Survey of Best-Practice Models

Church of Peace, Presbyterian
Los Angeles, 323-731-7779
3pm - 5pm
Esther Sung, director

Located in Korea Town of Los Angeles, the Presbyterian Church of Peace (80 -100 members) provides after school tutoring Monday through Friday. The program started last summer and is currently geared towards new immigrants who are learning English as a second language. Later, Esther Sung, Director, hopes to open the program up to the wider community to include Hispanic and African-American students as well. Ms. Sung, a public school teacher, and one other teacher are working with about 15 children from kindergarten through seventh grade. They are looking for volunteers and help with funding. It has been difficult finding bilingual volunteers willing to help.

Through their pastor's vision and seeing that recent immigrants were having difficulties in school, a meeting was held with the school counselors and teachers. Since the tutoring program at Church of Peace began, the students' grades and English have markedly improved. The students are also coached in how to work with school counselors and teachers.

MCC - San Francisco
Phyllis Nelson, Development Director
415-865-2744

The 500 member Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco has reached out to a nearby school. Through a state-funded program called Project Safe Children, the church provides an after school program for at-risk children. Teachers and church members provide care and activities. The church started out as a "sponsor" of the school as designated through the school superintendent. The church and school work closely together with church members also volunteering in the classroom to read with the students. The after school program started with a music program and has evolved from there.

The school has about 250 students, kindergarten through fifth grade. About two-thirds of the students stay for the after school program. The development director for the church in charge of the program is Phyllis Nelson. She reports that parent participation at school functions has increased from 20% to 70% since September when the after school care began. Phyllis says it has also been a great experience for the church members as well.

Shell Ridge Community Church, Walnut Creek
American Baptist
Sandy Mitchell, Logos Director
925-687-3976

This small congregation of 130 members has grown a successful afternoon/evening program that now reaches 25 children from first through twelfth grade. Seven years ago the congregation decided they wanted children to be their primary focus. They chose to reach out using the Logos Program. After sending interested persons to Logos training, the church now offers a Wednesday program from 4:30 to 7:10 p.m. The program has been so well received that they now offer "Logos Light" even during the summer! The full program offers playtime with games and crafts, worship skills to practice music, family time when all eat together, and Bible study. According to Sandy Mitchell, Logos Director, Logos is based on building relationships. The children get to know the adults of the church as they build their relationship to peers and with Christ.

The children pay $50 per semester and about half are on scholarships. The church has found that if students pay something, attendance increases.

Through the Logos program, church members have come to appreciate how much the children need extended family. One of the children lost their father to suicide. At the funeral service were two pews of people who knew him through Logos. Without that connection to the church, only the Sunday School teacher probably would have been in attendance. Another child made a point of locating her "table parent" at the Christmas Eve service to establish that connection. A second grader new to the neighborhood came to Logos and then went home and told her parents that this is the church they were going to go to, and so they did.

The church now realizes that they can do this! It took some convincing to get over the barrier that they were too small (about 130 members) to accomplish the task. Currently there are about 30 - 40 adults involved. They may come in for just a part of the evening and then leave. That way the commitment is kept to a manageable level. The church has added grade levels to the program over the seven years of operation.

Community United Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles
Rev. David Morris
Thelma Stribling, Elder (Home - 323-758-4701)
323-752-3129

Every Wednesday four or five members of the Community United Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles take turns helping the children from the elementary school across the street with their homework. The small church of 67 members secured a grant from the Presbytery to fund the project. Received in early 1999, the funds are used for materials and snacks.

The school principal is very cooperative and appreciates the help with the students who have "so many needs." About 12 - 15 children participate. A grandmother of one little girl called the church and expressed her appreciation for the care her grandchild receives and for the patience of the teachers.

It took some time to get the lines of communication clear with the school as they are on a multi-track school year. These kinds of logistical issues were the biggest difficulty in getting started. Now the pastor of the church, Rev. David Morris, is hoping for a paid coordinator to expand the program even further.

Episcopal Church of Our Savior, Oakland
Leah Martinez (a.m. - 415-398-9001)
Ch. - 510-834-6447 (2-6 p.m.)

The Oakland Chinatown Jubilee Community Center has a growing after school program that started two years ago. This year it has jumped from 24 children last fall to 35 this semester. It began with 10 children in 1998.

The Episcopal Church of Our Savior funds this tutorial program. It provides help with homework: reading, math, science and includes extra homework sheets for the children to work on. Some of the parents are unable to understand the homework assignments so the tutorial program steps in. The church funds the paid tutors, the director, and pays for supplies. The children are charged a nominal fee. They are currently looking for grant funding as well.

When Director Leah Martinez was asked to describe a success story, she said, "They are all a success story! They are so happy when they get their grades. They show me their grades or progress reports. One school teacher asked one of the students, 'You are doing so good! How are you doing this?'"
Slowly the word is getting out about the program. Five new participants came from that one teacher.

Some of the biggest problems are in securing reliable helpers. Volunteers were not consistent, and children like consistency, said Martinez. Now they pay $6.50 an hour and still find it difficult to fill the positions from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Although she would prefer college-age tutors, the program now employs five high school students as tutors.

An additional problem is holding the program in one large hall in the church with eight children per table. The noise and confusion is high. Soon the basement of the church will be finished, providing four separate classrooms which will greatly enhance the program.

St. Luke's Presbyterian, Rolling Hills
Janet Reed and Marilyn Barr, Directors

Every Tuesday afternoon kindergarten through eighth graders gather at St. Luke's Presbyterian Church in Rolling Hills to make a "Joyful Noise." While it is mostly a music program, there are also crafts and some drama. The younger children meet from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. and the fourth through eighth graders come from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. to be "The Good News Choir." Altogether there are about 16 children involved.
The church found that there is not enough time in Sunday School. Tuesdays were developed for more enrichment and fellowship. Other children from the neighborhood come on Tuesday afternoon who don't come on Sunday morning. In their second year of operation, the program is supported by the church budget and the $10 per child enrollment fee for the school year.

Grace Lutheran Church, San Jose
Janis Gerlinger, Director
408-274-1200

Grace Lutheran Church of San Jose serves an ethnically diverse community. Three days a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons), children from third to sixth grade come to the church's "Homework Center" for help. With a grant from the city, this is the fourth year of operation. The program now has 55 to 60 children enrolled, although not all come at the same time. Director Janis Gerlinger notes that the program has been especially helpful for single mothers and families for whom English is a second language.

Ms. Gerlinger notes that grades have improved or good grades maintained. The homework of participating children is completed and turned in whereas it might not have been without the Homework Club. The program is staffed by high school volunteers who help the children read and understand their homework assignments.

The main difficulties the church faced in getting started were getting through the funding process and lining up volunteers. Retaining consistent volunteers remains their biggest problem. Ms. Gerlinger says that the after school program makes the community more aware of the church. She also likes to see the church facilities used during the week to meet the needs of the surrounding community: a winning combination!

Resurrection Lutheran Church, Oakland
Roxanne Seagraves, Director
510-625-1049

The after school program at Resurrection Lutheran Church has grown from eight children to thirty-six, with forty on the waiting list, in just three years. The program serves the children from the elementary school three blocks from the church. Director of the program, Roxanne Seagraves, and others meet with the teachers of the school in the spring and fall of the year to determine what kinds of tutoring and support the students need. They work closely with the school, which promotes the program by sending out letters and applications to parents.

For students who come regularly to the after school program grade point averages increase one point for every grading period. The grade levels served are third through fifth, with a few in second grade. A few seventh graders who graduated from the program two years ago have asked if they can still come and they do.

The program is staffed by paid college students. It is funded by an endowment from the thurh and the $10 per week tuition charged. About 25% of the students are on scholarship. Director Seagraves is working toward becoming a licensed program that will open up more funding opportunities.

Ms. Seagraves is putting together a manual on how to run this kind of an after school program that will be made available for other churches. She advises churches just getting started to grow slowly. Some of the difficulties Resurrection Lutheran encountered along the way were: 1) They did not realize the extra work that would be required by the church treasurer in getting monthly financial statements to the program so they did not overspend. That problem is now resolved but it took about a year to correct. 2) The church is primarily of Scandinavian background serving an African-American community. Bridging the cultural gap and building trust on both sides has been a challenge. Now new families from the community are joining the church and church members are feeling more comfortable with all the noise of the after school program. Once a month family dinners have helped bridge the gap. 3) The after school program had to realize that they could not serve all the children who came. Clear goals had to be established and referral services developed to serve children whose needs were beyond what the church program could provide. Their reason for being is for academic support, not recreational. They had to set a boundary and not try to serve emotionally disturbed children, who were then referred to proper agencies.

Ms. Seagraves is willing to talk to interested persons. You can reach her at 510-625-1049.

Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Chico
Karolyn Gardner, Director
530-893-8640

"I can't believe the change in my kids! They can't wait to come every Tuesday." Such was the enthusiastic support of one parent whose children come to the Aldersgate United Methodist Church program. It runs from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. every Tuesday through the school year. It provides a recreation time, Bible study, a hobby and life-skill unit, dinner, and music. Volunteers are on a waiting list to share their skills with the children, such as: bicycle repair, holiday crafts, self-defense, cooking, puppet ministry.

The church started their program just last September. It is staffed by volunteers who were the ones who begged to extend the program an extra month this spring. It has grown from 12 to 22 children in the first through sixth grade. Donations from the church and student fees fund the program. Children's ministry Director Karolyn Gardner reports she is blessed with faithful volunteers and extra money. The weekly program has brought in children who are not from church families and has provided fellowship for single parents as well.

After the unit on "grace being a free gift we don't deserve," one young man was seen picking up his brother's clothes at home. His mom said he didn't need to do that, to which the reply came, "It's okay. I'm showing my brother grace."

First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Oakland
510-655-1527
Rev. Damon Powell, Coordinator

The First AME in Oakland (with 1400 members) runs an after school program two days a week, Tuesday and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. They have about three tutors who work in shifts. It is a tutoring program with a healthy snack provided. The church has 14 computers for the students to use for homework. Tutors give individual students additional worksheets to do if they have a weak area needing extra help.
The program started last September and exists through church donations and budget money. Tutors are volunteers, mainly college-aged and working adults. The church has applied for grants but so far none have been received.

Currently there are about 12 children between 9 years and 11 years of age. A few teens drop in on occasion. The children who come have been consistent since the start of the program. They like being there and the volunteers have come to know the children. Though the numbers are small, Rev. Powell says it is a good program and worthwhile. The facility is great for such a program.

The early difficulties in getting started were in how to fund it and how to actually run such a program. Rev. Powell did a lot of visiting to other homework centers, and public and private schools. Staffing was also an early concern. Currently keeping a consistent volunteer staff is an on-going difficulty, as well as funding for snack food.

Grace Presbyterian Church, Weed
530-938-4571
Susan Harrington, Director (hours noon - 5:30 p.m., call before 2:10 p.m.)

Rev. Henry DeGraaff with others in the church and community started the idea of an after school program in the church. Susan Harrington was hired as director. They run 5 days a week from 2:20 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. The program started this school year with 12 children but now there are only 4. The church has been unable to get outside funding because they are a church (according to Susan). The biggest difficulty is that they are not a licensed program. Without licensing they are unable to attract low-income children because the parents are not subsidized for unlicensed child care. In addition, funding from federal food programs is not available because the program is not licensed. Some improvements to the church property are required before licensing can move ahead.

Before starting the program the pastor and others talked to the community about what they wanted for the children. The desire was for a tutoring and homework program. There were plans to do a whole reading/tutoring program using America Reads, but since they are not a licensed program, this is not an option. As the program is currently run, there is a time for homework, crafts, free time, outdoor play, and field trips. Some community service work is also done. The local school buses drop the children off at the church after school.

For background and church information Susan suggests we call Rev. Henry DeGraaff at the above number.

Central City Lutheran Mission
San Bernadino
Rev. David Kalke
Phone: 909-381-6921

The Mission was founded in 1994 by a Lutheran congregation in an abandoned Lutheran church facility. It began in 1996 with a food pantry and in 1997 began its after-school program. There are now 33 congregations that support the Mission. They also receive funding from government and private grants. In addition to the after-school program, the mission serves adults with HIV/AIDS and has recovery homes purchased through HUD.

During the school year, the after-school program serves between 45 and 60 children daily. The children served are between five and twelve years of age. (They also have a summer program which is day-long and serves 125 -150 children.) With the support of the Mexican Consulate they also run a program in Spanish. The neighborhood they serve is 65% Mexican-American and 35% African-American. It is one of the poorest in the United States, according to Rev. Kalke. There is a high teenage pregnancy rate and 60% of the children in school drop out. 95% are on public assistance and free lunch program.

The after-school program consists of a structured homework time or activities that involve writing and reading. In writing, they work on the children's ability to express their own stories. The Mission has an extensive library of Latin-American and African authors.

Following the homework time is an activity either outdoors or involving art, music, or dance. After a clean-up time, a hot meal is served and the children are dismissed at 6:00 p.m.

The program is run by neighborhood youth. The 13-14 year olds are the Power Teens. They are assigned as assistants in the kitchen and computer lab. The teens get used to coming in and doing assigned work and are paid $1.00 a day. The program matches that amount at 50 days.

The 15-19 year olds are Peer Educators. They run the after-school program doing the tutoring, cooking, serving, and planning of the activities. They are able to develop relationships with other teens which rebuilds the social fabric that poverty has destroyed. Children who know these teens will run to them if they need a safe place away from home.

The program includes Academic Enhancement Activities. These are 12-week problem solving courses. They may do research to start their own neighborhood business, or read the autobiography of Malcolm X and then write their own story. They can get certified on the computer and then take home their own computer, donated from corporations. There is a computer lab with five or six computers open until 9:00 p.m. daily, and a room with weights and other equipment.

The difficulties experienced in getting the program started were in funding and helping the congregation understand that it is a slow process to grow a project. It took a while to help them understand how to work with government and in getting government agencies to consider the value of faith-based service delivery.

The current difficulty faced by the program is the poverty of the neighborhood; there are many issues including health-related deaths and the government relocation of families with children, which leaves children traumatized.

When asked if he could describe a success story, Rev. Kalke declined, stating that he wants to avoid the middle-class poster-child image of what a success might look like. He says success for this program might be keeping someone out of jail or off drugs, or keeping a child in school longer, or a reduction in gang violence. These are not things that one can easily measure.