How a Wichita organization is helping kids navigate remote school in person
Immediately after the Wichita school district announced that middle and high school buildings would not be open for at least nine weeks this fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff at the local Boys & Girls Clubs received a flood of phone calls from frantic working parents wondering: What now?
Their kids were old enough to stay at home alone.
But parents worried that juggling virtual learning on their own would be too much.
“They didn’t want their kids at home alone all day,” said Anne Chandler, a Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas spokeswoman. “They needed a positive outlet.”
Boys & Girls Clubs staff quickly went to work brainstorming ideas for how to help. What they came up with is a new schooling option that is sure to be a safety net for students and parents alike.
Last week, the organization with the help of local business donors opened its Teen Learning Academy, a place for sixth- through 12th-graders who want to complete their virtual school day in a more-traditional learning environment.
So far, 31 middle and high school students are enrolled.
But Boys & Girls Clubs is looking to expand that number to 117 in the coming weeks.
“It’s amazing to watch them pivot through this remote learning experience,” Chandler said of the students, adding that the assistance they receive ranges from navigating technology to getting help with their USD 259 coursework.
The academy is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“We help them with anything that we can during those hours as needs arise.”
Chandler said after coming up with the idea for the Teen Learning Academy, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas contacted Koch Industries, which provided funding and put the organization in touch with a local private school that had unused space.
“Within a week we had worked out a rental agreement,” Chandler said.
The Teen Learning Academy opened Sept. 8 with nine rented classrooms at Urban Preparatory Academy, 2821 E. 24th St. North in Wichita. It’s open to Boys & Girls Clubs members and is free with a $30 membership.
Interested parents can have their students’ names added to a waiting list until the academy opens all 117 spots.
“We are honored to be able to provide such a valued service to our families,” Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas CEO Junnae Campbell said in a news release announcing the academy’s formation.
“The Teen Learning Academy is a great example of how non-profits and local businesses can work together to empower families and their children,” Koch Industries said in a prepared statement.
Chandler said the Boys & Girls Clubs might consider expanding the academy further if additional building space and donations become available.
But right now, the organization is focused on recruiting more staff to help teach.
For more information on enrollment, teaching opportunities or needed supplies, call 316-201-1890, go to www.begreatwichita.org or email achandler@begreatwichita.org.
“We are shaking all the trees for qualified professionals who are willing to come in and assist us with remote learning,” Chandler said.
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 5:01 AM with the headline "How a Wichita organization is helping kids navigate remote school in person."
