COLORADO SPRINGS — If you're looking for a safe and fun after school program for your kids, The Boys and Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region has spots open.
These are wrap-around after-school programs for kids ages 6-18 that can provide homework assistance, and also give your kids a chance to just be kids.
The focus of these programs include academics, leadership, sports, arts and health and life skills.
Right now across their three locations, The Boys and Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region is helping about 150 kids - and 30 kids can sign up for their after-school programs.
Usually, they would serve more than 1,400 kids but there are limited spots due to COVID-19 safety protocols.
These programs go from either 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and they're free of cost thanks to Cares Act grant funds provided by Pikes Peak United Way.
"We have all the standard COVID practices, so they're wearing masks, they're socially distancing," said Aphten Goldman, the Vice President of Development at the Boys and Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region. "So it's a very safe place for the kids to be but they also get to be around other kids."
Although this grant money ensures these programs will be in place through the end of the year, it has not been decided whether this grant will be renewed for the upcoming new year.
Currently, there are a minimum of two staff members present during these after-school programs. They serve as mentors and sometimes are also employed as teachers within different school districts. The programs also provide kids with a healthy snack.
Even though there are currently spots available for after-school programs, waitlists will be created in case the spots to fill up quickly.
If you're interested and want to enroll your child in an after-school program, you can call their central office at 719-570-7077.
You will be connected with the director of operations who will find the program that best suits your child.
If you would like to help The Boys and Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region, Goldman says you can do so by providing monetary donations and/or school supply donations so they can continue to support the children enrolled across their different programs.
