After a successful first session of BLAST, the Mahomet Area Youth Club alongside the Mahomet-Seymour School District is ready to expand enrichment opportunities for students in Sangamon and Lincoln Trail Elementary.
At this point, enrollment numbers appear to be consistent at nearly 190 students enrolled each session. With only eight classes, four at Sangamon and four at Lincoln Trail during session one, a few students were turned away. Mahomet-Seymour Schools Program Coordinator Kelly Cramer reached out to the community to see what other opportunities they could offer.
“I’m amazed at how creative people are in coming up with ideas that may be interesting for kids,” Cramer said. “You reach out to people who have talents and interests, and they are willing to share.”
Now with 240 enrichment spaces available, BLAST is able to serve more students. All thirteen courses offered have at least nine students enrolled. Students can still enroll in Yoga, Tae Kwon Do, Creative Calendars and a kid’s dance fitness class called Dancing Dawgs.
Other courses like Wacky Science, Sangamon Chefs, World Travelers Express, Crafty Kids, Bulldog Beat, Glass Artists, Machines and Mechanics, Beginner Crochet and Hablamos espanol! filled up quickly.
Alongside community members, several Sangamon and Lincoln Trail teachers offered their time after school to teach an enrichment class.
With 1200 students to serve and only 150 slots during the first session, Cramer and MAYC Program Coordinator Marcius Moore knew there needed to be more opportunities during the second session. Now with classes like Glass Artists, Robotics and Crochet, students are receiving a taste of opportunities which were not offered in the community before BLAST.
“It that type of specific stuff we’re offering that they can’t do in the community,” Moore said. “It’s a six-week time commitment, and the cost makes it attractive to the community. It’s also offered right after school.”
Alongside the popularity of BLAST at the elementary level, Cramer and Moore are looking into enrichment opportunities at Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School and Mahomet-Seymour High School.
Cramer said at this point, The University of Illinois Robotics Extension Program plans start a robotics program which will go to competitions at the high school in Nov. The high school has also seen growth in their after-school homework club. Nearly 40 students have signed up, and an average of 15 students stay each day.
BLAST will offer enrichment programming at MSJHS during the winter and spring sessions. The History of Rock and Roll, Chocolate Making, Yoga, Fitness, Tae Kwon Do and 3D Printing are all possibilities. The after-school homework club at the junior high sees at 13 students each day.
MAYC has kicked off their annual giving campaign in Nov. Moore said people who like the enrichment program and what MAYC is doing for children in the community should donate to the organization.
“The money goes to the club and into the enrichment program,” he said. “It doesn’t go to the district funds. It’s just for operations at MAYC.”
BLAST students also receive an after-school snack during their BLAST class. Some snacks will continue to come from MAYC while others will be purchased from the BLAST funds, but Cramer said with the growth of the program, a snack shortage may occur.
Cramer is asking for community members to donate individually wrapped snacks which are sensitive to nut allergies. All donations should be labeled BLAST, and sent to school with a child or dropped off at MAYC at 601 East Franklin St.
