By Patricia Jones
Alliance Community Task Force: Creating Opportunity
and Reve Fries
ARC Director
One of the many outstanding programs offered by the Alliance Recreation Center (ARC) is the ARC AfterSchool program. This year there has been a big change. The program has moved from the ARC location to Grandview School.
Why the change? With the program consistently having a waiting list, capacity building was the main goal. The program served 45 students in the 2023/24 school year, and more requests were rolling in. ARC obviously needed to serve more families and needed a larger location.
ARC AfterSchool is now a licensed program through the Department of Health and Human Services. Continuing to host the program at the ARC would only allow for 24 children in the facility unless ARC restricted services to their members.
Former ARC Director Mara Andersen requested that Alliance Public Schools allow the use of their elementary schools for the program, and the School Board approved that request. The Grandview location has been licensed to serve 75 students, so ARC doesn’t have to turn anyone away! ARC is licensed to use the playground, multipurpose room (gym and cafeteria), music and art rooms, and the library. Many communities use a similar model; both Scottsbluff and McCook YMCAs operate after school programs in partnership with public school systems.
How does ARC AfterSchool work? The program operates on the Alliance Public Schools (APS) schedule. The program runs from the school dismissal time to 5:30 pm. Emerson students ride to Grandview on the existing cross-town bus. ARC transports students from IELS and St. Agnes to Grandview. ARC also will transport students who participate in programs at the Alliance Recreation Center and 7th Street Dance Studio during ARC AfterSchool program hours.
ARC AfterSchool Child Care Director Sarah Meyer has a degree in education and prepares lesson plans for every day’s activities. First, students do their homework, with help from ARC staff and volunteers when they need it. Then they have physical activity time and are served a healthy snack. They participate in STEM-based activities like Lego Challenges, Engineering Challenges, and more. Thursday is “Clubs Day.” Students vote on clubs they would like to form to pursue specific interests: sports, art, STEM, and reading are all possibilities.
ARC provides enough staff to ensure that a teacher has no more than 15 students. Each group must have an adult teacher, many of whom are APS paraprofessionals. High school students provide more assistance. The ARC is excited to continue partnerships with Carnegie Arts Center, UNL Extension, and Keep Alliance Beautiful to continue to have a wide variety of projects and experiences for kids. The Health Occupations Students Association at Alliance High School worked on programs with grades 3-5 last year.
What does it cost to enroll a child in ARC After School? ARC members pay $45 and non-members pay $55 per week. Scholarships are available for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, so they pay $30. There is also a $30 initial enrollment fee. Families pay weekly, and the cost is pro-rated based on the school schedule. Scholarships are generously provided by Snow-Redfern Foundation, United Way of Western Nebraska, the Mission Store, and ARC Make More Possible donors.
The success of ARC After School identified a need to develop ARC Summer Camp and School Days Out. These will continue to be held at the ARC and have a different fee structure.
Having a safe place for children at a low cost allows parents to be employed and not worry about taking time off to handle school pick-up and drop-off or use vacation to stay home when school isn’t in session. ARC also meets the needs of kids who are too old for day care but not old enough to be home alone.
Enrollment is ongoing. Forms for ARC AfterSchool are available at the ARC and on their website, www.alliancereccenter.com/arcafterschool.
Alliance is so fortunate to have the Alliance Recreation Center and the Alliance Public Schools working together to bring such a high quality program to help parents in our community!