It Takes a Village to Help Our Children

During calendar year 2023 our afterschool program, Project ROCKET (Reaching Out Changing Kids Expected Trajectory), operated in 2 Somerset County MD locations - Crisfield & Princess Anne. ..... serving more than 60 at risk, kindergarten to 8th grade. 99% of our students were minority students, 98% qualified to receive Free and Reduced Meals, and 61% were reading below grade level. Our program focused on reclaiming academic and emotional learning loss which occurred during the pandemic. Project Rocket is a strong collaboration with the Virginia Space and Flight Academy to offer Stem programs including astronomy, rocketry, and robotics, as well as, improving literacy and math skills through evidenced based curriculum , I-Ready. In addition, Project Rocket includes social emotional learning sessions with evidenced based programs, Positive Action and Too Good for Drugs and Violence, as well as, small group sessions with a licensed social worker. Services were provided Monday Friday and also included homework assistance, community service, recreation, field trips, parent outreach, and a hot meal each day for our students. Per our Performance Indicators, over the FY23 school year we provided 52 evidenced based programming sessions, and 80% of our students met criteria for regular attendance (30 or more programming days).

Project Bounce, in collaboration with Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore, provided summer learning for more than 60 at risk youth. Project Bounce is designed to support students in recovering from the academic impacts of the pandemic. Our program operated Monday Friday 8am 4pm and provided several Boys and Girls Club program activities, including SMART Girls, Passport to Manhood and PhotoVoice. Our program also included academic enrichment, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) activities, character development, recreation, field trips, breakfast and lunch each day.

Our Shore Way to College program is a Next Generation Scholars program and provided college and career readiness services for more than 200 7TH, 8TH, 9TH, 10TH , 11TH , and, 12TH grade students in Somerset County Public Schools in preparation for them to receive the Guaranteed Access Grant. The grant is available to graduating seniors whose family income is 130% below the poverty level. The program provides College and Career Interns at the middle school and 2 high schools, and College Coaches at the local youth center. Students have access to tutors during and after school, participate in college awareness workshops, college and workplace tours, and summer work opportunities with soft skills training. Parents also participate in financial aid workshops. In 2023 more than 100 students created individualized college and career plans, 187 duplicated students attended 6 college tours, 46 unduplicated students participated in tutoring, 31 parents and students participated in financial aid workshops, 17 unduplicated students participated in soft skills training and summer work program at 11 local businesses.