Why Afterschool?
In Jubilee Park, 98% of students qualify for the free/reduced lunch program, and 67.5% are considered to be “at-risk” (DISD School Profile, TEA 202). All of these existing factors set kids up for statistically high risk of drug or alcohol abuse, grade retention, delinquency, drop-out rates, and incarceration. On top of that, low-income families often live in neighborhoods with under-performing schools and a lack of resources, compared to their more affluent peers.
This is where Jubilee’s Afterschool program comes in. Afterschool programs can provide children with the enrichment, care, and extra support that they need to thrive.
Cost of Afterschool
For low-income children in particular, the support needs to be high quality and affordable.
Families in Jubilee Park often make less than $20,000 a year to support a family of five. Jubilee finds that the average cost of quality afterschool programming may cost as much as $4,320 per year (according to Public/Private Partnerships and the Wallace Foundation), more than 20% of the average Jubilee neighborhood family’s income. Furthermore, a working parent without reliable afterschool childcare may miss up to eight days of work per year, a significant impact on family income. A study by ChildTrends found that students who attend low-quality or average-quality programs show no difference in learning compared to students who attend no program at all. Therefore, quality programs that are free-of-cost are essential to families living below the poverty line, as many are in Southeast Dallas.
The SOlution: Jubilee’s Afterschool Program
Jubilee is the only free program in Southeast Dallas that provides high-quality academic enrichment, and serves 200 children each school year. Afterschool at Jubilee includes a healthy meal, homework help, academic enrichment with a reading and math focus, social-emotional learning, and at least 30 minutes of physical activity. In addition, children have access to extra support through Jubilee’s free mental health clinic and Specialized Student Support (S3) Program which provides one-on-one interventions for students with learning differences. The elements of Jubilee’s Afterschool Program contribute to a whole-child learning model which directly combats many of the risks mentioned above.
Jubilee’s program is free for families who need it because of the donors and volunteers that generously give their time, talent, and treasure to Jubilee. You can donate online here or sign up to volunteer at volunteer@jubileecenter.org to help provide free, quality afterschool enrichment to children in Southeast Dallas.