The Mahomet Lions Club presented the Mahomet Area Youth Club with a $5,000 check on February 9.
Long-time supporters of MAYC, the Lions club was interested to see how MAYC’s merger with the Mahomet-Seymour School District two years ago would continue to reach Mahomet’s youth, especially children with financial need, over time.
MAYC President Matt Difanis was happy to report to the Lions Club that after seven sessions of MAYC’s after school program, B.L.A.S.T (Bulldogs Learning and Succeeding Together), the club participation grew from 30 to 40 kids in MAYC programming at the clubhouse to reach over 500 unique students within the District over a year-and-a-half period of time.
“Our mission is to help all kids succeed, and to make all of these MAYC programs available to all kids, regardless of income,” Difanis said.
When MAYC board members made the commitment to transition from after school programming at the MAYC clubhouse to the Mahomet schools, they wanted to ensure that students who had a place at MAYC were not lost.
Because approximately 18 percent of Mahomet-Seymour School District students qualify for the free and reduced lunch program, MAYC reserves 25 percent of allotted B.L.A.S.T. class spots for students with financial need. Although MAYC only served about three first and second grade students prior to the merger, Difanis noted that because those students are served at Sangamon after school, the club has now reached over 200 students in the same age range.
He also said the MAYC club at the junior high school has made a huge impact on students there. With 46 percent of the after school club enrollment coming from those who qualify from the free and reduced lunch program, 11 students were reported on the high honor roll, 24 students on the honor roll and 80 percent of those student not on the honor roll showed improvements in their grades over the previous quarters.
The MSJHS student reach has looked different than the reach in the elementary grades solely because the junior high already offers extra-curricular activities for students to participate in. While MAYC has established a few B.L.A.S.T. classes at MSJHS, they have also provided scholarships for low-income students to participate in sports or clubs.
MAYC’s $130,000 per year commitment to the Mahomet-Seymour School District to fund the B.L.A.S.T. programming is not all MAYC has on its plate. They also continue to own and maintain the clubhouse located on Franklin Street, and have two employees and summer programming to fund, also.
The club took an unexpected financial hit in the spring of 2014 when they expected to continue to receive funds from the United Way, but their application was not approved. The United Way provided MAYC with one-time emergency funding to keep their summer program afloat, but the club will have to fund the summer program this year. Difanis said while MAYC expects to get back into the United Way’s funding rotation when the opportunity arises.
During the summer of 2014, the Mahomet Area Youth Club saw “the most successful summer programming ever.” Attendance from both demographics of low-income to those who could pay for the club membership grew, and students enjoyed the time they spent at the clubhouse and on field trips. Difanis said the club connects low-income students with additional resources, and all students benefited from the academic programming, which helped them to not fall behind over the summer.
But he also highlighted the fact that because of the new summer programming and B.L.A.S.T. implementation, it is hard to identify the kids who have and those who have not.
“Now that this model has been implemented, you go into the schools, any day of the week, and you will not be able to identify who is paying and who is not,” he said. “The end result, both in the summer program and in these on-campus after school programs has been this really good level of inclusion among the students.”
And for MAYC, the reward comes in the quick registration response they get as they reveal each session of B.L.A.S.T. classes. Last school year, students eagerly brought paper registration forms back to the school, hoping they made it before the class filled up. Now, with online registration this school year, B.L.A.S.T. classes generally fill up within an hour or two of open registration.
Because of the success of B.L.A.S.T., the Mahomet-Seymour School District had Difanis present to area school administrators and board members during a conference held at Middletown Prairie last fall. MAYC will continue to present their model in hopes that other private and public entities pick it up in the future.
With State funding cuts affecting many school districts, programs like enrichment are being cut. Mahomet-Seymour decided to eliminate their enrichment program in 2012. With the addition of after school B.L.A.S.T. students, even those who would not qualify for enrichment programming, are taking academic-based classes.
Difanis assured the Lions Club that their continued support of MAYC has been put to good use.
“Your investment with us has been well-placed,” he said. “It continues to make a difference in the community. Those dollars are doing more good for more kids than those dollars have ever done before.”
