Grant secures After School Tutoring Program through 2013
Grant secures After School Tutoring Program through 2013
By MARVIN BAKER
Providing quality programs and services for youth on the Fort Berthold Reservation in a safe, caring and drug free environment is what the After School Tutoring program is all about.
Many people are aware of the program and the fact that it takes place in the schools on Fort Berthold. But few people realize, however, that it’s a Boys and Girls Club program and is administered in all six clubs on the reservation.
Angie Elison, a coordinator with the Boys and Girls Club in Parshall, said the program is successful for students and teachers. But it wouldn’t be possible without the help of New Town Superintendent Marc Bluestone, who wrote a grant to keep the program going.
“It is designed to provide positive after school and weekend activities for students ages 3-18,” Bluestone said. “The grant was originally funded from 2003-08 that served each of the schools and communities on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The second grant cycle will run from 2008-13. Also funded with this grant is Williston and Trenton schools.”
According to Elison, attendance at After School Tutoring has been consistent, and some schools require students to attend if they are failing any classes.
“Many kids, teachers and parents have seen a dramatic increase in grades,” she said. “Several students have maintained their athletic eligibility by attending ‘Power Hour,’ a phrase derived from the fact that the tutoring sessions are usually intense and last for one hour.”
Elison added that some graduates have acknowledged that without “Power Hour,” they may not have graduated on time, or at all.
According to Bluestone, because this is the second cycle, the program has become more efficient and the grant was written to reflect those parts of the program that were successful from the beginning.
