FORT LAUDERDALE – Children’s Services Council (CSC) of Broward County recently awarded a $968,000 grant to After School Programs, Inc. (ASP), a not-for-profit child-care provider. The grant supports summer camp programs at elementary and middle schools for at-risk children in economically vulnerable communities throughout Broward County.

Cindy Arenberg Seltzer, CSC president/CEO, said, “The Children’s Services Council of Broward County has a mission to serve and protect our community’s youngsters. Our contracting agencies must provide high-quality, effective educational services. CSC’s partnership with ASP – for after-school programs and summer programs – has been a successful one for many years and continues to serve Broward County’s families and children well.”

Last summer, ASP’s Camp Explorer summer programs served more than 1,000 students a day, from kindergarten through fifth grade. According to ASP Chief Executive Officer Alan Wolnek, Camp Explorer offers a balanced mix of recreational and educational activities that help students maintain their academic skills throughout the summer while providing wholesome fun, cultural outings and social opportunities.
Staffed by certified Broward County teachers and trained, experienced counselors, Camp Explorer includes an educational focus with reading and math, social skills and character development, Junior Achievement, physical fitness, sports and games, water safety instruction, field trips, arts and crafts, and cultural arts activities. Camp Explorer also participates in the USDA Summer Food Service Program. As part of Camp Explorer programs, children receive a nutritionally balanced lunch and an afternoon snack, both of which meet USDA requirements. The federally funded food program is administered by the State of Florida Department of Education. In 2005, ASP provided more than 125,000 children’s meals over the course of the summer.

Although there is a modest cost for Camp Explorer, fees are often based on a sliding scale, depending on family income, with some fees as low as $2.00 per week.

Camp Explorer summer programs are offered at the following schools: Broward Estates, Deerfield Beach, Forest Hills, Lloyd Estates, Martin Luther King Jr., Miramar, Palmview, Pompano Beach, Stirling, Village, Westwood Heights and Silver Lakes Middle. ASP also partners with the City of Dania Beach to provide a summer camp program at Collins Elementary.

Established in 1991, ASP is a not-for-profit company that provides safe, educational, quality child-care services for after-school and summer programs at more than 30 Broward County schools for thousands of children. ASP is the only child-care provider in Broward County to be accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

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ASP, Inc. provides free meals with summer school programs
for children in economically disadvantaged areas for the second consecutive summer

July 17, 2006

DEERFIELD BEACH, FL – After School Programs, Inc. (ASP) offers its Camp Explorer program at 12 Broward County schools and parks. In order to help the neediest of families, After School Programs, Inc. (ASP) participates in the USDA Summer Food Service Program. This program provides children in low-income families with nutritionally balanced meals, free of charge, during the summer months when school meals are not available.

This summer, ASP will provide more than 110,000 lunches and snack. ASP has incorporated this service into the Summer Challenge Program, a grant program funded by Broward County’s Children’s Services Council (CSC). CSC recently provided ASP with $968,000 of funding to operate its Camp Explorer program, from May 30 through August 11.

According to ASP CEO Alan Wolnek, “Camp Explorer is an all-day mix of educational and recreational activities focusing on literacy, computer skills, social skills, physical fitness and nutrition. ASP is one of the largest Summer Challenge grant recipients, serving more children in economically disadvantaged areas than any other recipient.”

The food service programs are approved only for geographical areas of need where 50 percent or more of the children qualify for free and reduced-priced meals during the school year.

To qualify for the free meals included in the Camp Explorer program, children must:

receive free or reduced-priced meals during the regular school year be members of a household receiving food stamps or benefits under the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)be part of a household receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), regardless of race, color, sex, disability, age, or national origin with no discrimination in the course of the meal service. ASP’s Camp Explorer programs are available to children at the following schools:

Broward Estates Elementary – 441 NW 35 Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
Deerfield Beach Elementary – 650 NE 1 Street, Deerfield Beach
Forest Hills Elementary – 3100 NW 85 Avenue, Coral Springs
Lloyd Estates Elementary – 750 NW 41 Street, Oakland Park
Martin Luther King Elementary – 591 NW 31 Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
Miramar Elementary – 6831 SW 26 Street, Miramar
Palmview Elementary – 2601 NE 1 Avenue, Pompano Beach
Pompano Beach Elementary – 700 NE 13 Avenue, Pompano Beach
Stirling Elementary – 5500 Stirling Road, Hollywood
Village Elementary – 2100 NW 70 Avenue, Sunrise
Westwood Heights Elementary – 2861 SW 9 Street, Fort Lauderdale
Silver Lakes Middle – 7600 Tam O’Shanter Blvd., North Lauderdale

ASP is a not-for-profit company established in 1991 to provide safe, educational, quality childcare services for after-school and summer programs. ASP currently provides after-school care throughout Broward County for thousands of children. ASP is the only childcare provider in Broward County to be accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

ASP has received funding from CSC for the past four years for both summer and after-school care, but this will mark the second year of participation for ASP in the USDA Summer Food Service Program.

Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any USDA-related activity should write or call immediately to:

USDA
Director, Office of Civil Rights
Room 326-W
Whitten Building
14th & Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
(202) 720-5964 (voice of TDD)

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS AT BROWARD AND PALM BEACH
PUBLIC SCHOOLS RESUME AFTER WILMA

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – As schools reopened in South Florida, ASP (After School Programs, Inc.) resumed afterschool programs for students at 36 elementary schools and parks in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
••According to Alan Wolnek, ASP chief executive officer, “I believe the value of our afterschool programming really hit home for parents during the post-Wilma period. With schools closed for two weeks, parents who worked outside the home had to find alternative childcare. If the parents were at home, they had to find meaningful activities to keep the children interested and entertained.”
••Wolnek said that demand for high-quality afterschool programs, post-Wilma, is greater than usual. “Parents realize that children thrive in a structured, protected environment where they can learn, have fun and keep out of trouble.”
••ASP’s afterschool scheduling includes field trips on holidays and teacher planning days, and special activities on early-release days. The programs are staffed by certified teachers and administrators. Activities include homework time, book clubs, computer access and instruction, reading and writing, sports, recreation and games, art, music, drama, cooking, character building and social skills.
••Wolnek said that afterschool programs are regarded as an increasingly critical component in childcare services.
“Numerous educational studies point out that the afternoon hours between two and five o’clock are of most concern to parents and teachers alike,” Wolnek said. “Today, many children, regardless of family income, are latchkey kids. With most parents at work outside the home, a majority of children return from school to an empty house. The hours between the end of the school day and dinnertime present the greatest risk to children, and that’s the time they most often get into trouble.”
••Dr. Beth M. Miller, a senior research adviser to the National Institute of Out of School Time at the Center for Research on Women at Wellesley College, recently analyzed data available from studies of afterschool programs, and her conclusions were published as Critical Hours: Afterschool Programs and Educational Success. Dr. Miller said, “Afterschool programs have been referred to as ‘the new neighborhood.’ Positive effects extend to families, employers and communities. Research indicates that investments in afterschool programs for youth are likely to have benefits that far outweigh the cost.”
••ASP is the first, and only, afterschool program provider in the state of Florida to earn accreditation by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the same body that accredits all public schools in the southern United States.
••While there is a small cost for afterschool programs, fees may be reduced through grant funding and scholarships. ASP received a $1.3 million grant for the 2005 – 2006 school year from Children’s Services Council (CSC) of Broward County to support afterschool programs for students in economically disadvantaged areas.
••Established in 1991, ASP is a not-for-profit company that provides safe, educational, quality childcare services for afterschool and summer programs. ASP has consistently been recognized by Broward County Childcare Licensing’s Gold Seal of Excellence, and has received top scores in meeting needs assessment by the Broward County School Board.

BACKGROUNDER: The following is a brief summary of Dr. Beth M. Miller’s report from Wellesley College’s National Institute on Out of School Time. For more information, see www.niost.org/research

Critical Hours
Afterschool Programs and Educational Success

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation commissioned Dr. Beth M. Miller, a senior research advisor to the National Institute of Out of School Time at the Center for Research on Women at Wellesley College, to synthesize information available from studies of afterschool programs and offer conclusions based on her assessment. The result, Critical Hours: Afterschool Programs and Educational Success, pays special attention to the effects of afterschool programs on the academic achievement and overall development of middle school students. Dr. Miller's central conclusion is that afterschool programs can, indeed, make a valuable contribution to how well children perform in school.

Dr. Miller’s … report comes at a time of intense national and state-level debate about afterschool programs--programs many educators and researchers consider to be one of the most promising education reform strategies to emerge over the past decade. Among the key conclusions of Critical Hours:

• Quality programs can markedly increase engagement in learning by providing students with opportunities for personal attention from adults, a peer group with positive aspirations, and hands-on activities that hold students’ interest and develop their skills and sense of competence. Schools often have difficulty providing these types of opportunities, yet research indicates they are critical to long-term academic success.
• Students who are engaged in learning behave better in school, have better work habits, higher educational aspirations, improved attitudes toward school, a greater sense of belonging in the community, and better relationships with parents. Young people are not the only ones to benefit.
• Afterschool programs have been referred to as “the new neighborhood.” Positive effects extend to families, employers and communities. Research indicates that investments in afterschool programs for youth are likely to have benefits that far outweigh the cost.

NOT-FOR-PROFIT COMPANY LAUNCHES SUMMER PROGRAMS AT BROWARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR CHILDREN AT RISK; FREE USDA-APPROVED LUNCHES INCLUDED

July 21, 2005

••FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – ASP, Inc. (After School Programs, Inc.) successfully launched 14 summer programs at public schools throughout Broward County. ASP’s “Camp Explorer” summer programs serve more than 1,000 students a day (Kindergarten to Grade Five).
••“ASP programs offer a balanced mix of recreational and educational activities that help students maintain their academic skills while providing wholesome fun, cultural outings and social opportunities,” said Alan Wolnek, ASP chief executive officer.
••Staffed by certified Broward County teachers and trained, experienced counselors, Camp Explorer programs include an educational focus with reading and math, physical fitness, social skills and character education, water safety and instruction, Junior Achievement, sports and games, field trips, arts and crafts, and cultural arts activities.
••ASP has been providing summer programs for Broward County public schools since 2003, but 2005 marks the first year of ASP’s participation in the USDA Summer Food Service Program. As part of Camp Explorer programs, children receive two meals a day – a nutritionally balanced lunch and an afternoon snack, both of which meet USDA requirements. The federally funded food program is administered by the State of Florida Department of Education. ASP projects it will provide more than 125,000 children’s meals over the course of the summer.
••“But by far the most important services ASP offers are peace of mind and freedom from worry to parents, who can be assured that their children are in a safe, nurturing environment while the parents can go about their business activities.”
••To operate its 2005 Camp Explorer summer programs, ASP received one of the largest funding grants ($876,000) awarded by Broward County’s Children’s Services Council (CSC). ASP has received funding from CSC for the past three years for both summer programs and after-school care.
••According to Cindy Arenberg Seltzer, CSC president/CEO, “On behalf of Broward County, CSC is proud to support ASP’s wonderful Camp Explorer summer and after-school programs. Our community’s children are well served by the programs CSC is able to provide.”
••ASP’s CSC-funded summer programs are offered in geographical areas of need. Fees for the summer program are minimal and are based on a sliding scale, from as little as $3.15 per week.
••Camp Explorer summer programs were introduced in 2003 at two Broward County public schools. In 2004, the programs were offered at seven schools. This summer, the programs doubled in number to 14. ASP summer programs are offered in Deerfield Beach, Coral Springs, Hollywood, Sunrise, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Dania Beach.
••“ASP has experienced a tremendously positive response to the Camp Explorer programs,” Wolnek said. “School principals endorse our services and parents and teachers request our continued involvement in their schools. We’re already preparing for next summer, when we hope to be serving more families and more communities throughout Broward.”
••Established in 1991, ASP is a not-for-profit company that provides safe, educational, quality childcare services for after-school and summer programs. ASP currently provides after-school and summer care throughout Broward County for thousands of children. ASP is the only childcare provider in Broward County to be accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
••ASP is managed and operated by education professionals – certified public school teachers and principals with years of experience. Here’s what some of the children have to say: Whitney, fourth grade: “I like that we have a learning service but it’s fun at the same time, and I’m here with my friends from school and we have dance class.” Alice, first grade: “It’s fun. We get to go on field trips and yesterday we got to go to gymnastics. I had fun.” Roger, fifth grade: “I like that we get to do different stuff when we go outside, be physical. I like the teachers, reading and math, so we don’t forget what we did in school. And I like my counselor because he’s really nice to us and he respects us.”