At ten campuses across North Texas, CISNT implements ACE (Afterschool Centers on Education) programming to provide academic enrichment opportunities for children during non-school hours.
Parents of ACE students often work long hours, and ACE programming can close the gap between the time that students are released from school and the time that parents return home from work. To ensure that students are provided with these opportunities during their lengthy summer break, CISNT kicks off its ACE Summer Camp the week after students are released from school.
ACE Summer Camp is held for four hours each day over six weeks, and each week is themed, with themes including Entrepreneurship and Physics. While last year’s Summer programming was completely virtual, this year, students were able to meet in-person, where they participated in a wide variety of exciting and memorable activities – from cooling off with a slip-n-slide, to educational frog dissections!
“We had a science week, and during our science week, one of my [ACE instructors] did frog dissections with the students,” says ACE Program Director Rickey Hayes. “They didn’t get to do it at school this year, so they got to do it with Summer ACE, which was really cool, and they enjoyed that.”
Students are also treated to enrichment clubs in which they can practice skills of their own choosing, including cooking, video games, newsletters, sports, or strategic thinking and brain teasers.
Apart from fun games and educational opportunities, ACE Summer programs also serve to address student needs during the long break between the Spring and Fall semesters.
“There’s consistency with the students still having a safe place to go and to learn and to socialize, and we serve breakfast and dinner on top of snacks during the summer,” says Mr. Hayes. “We’re able to give them hot meals, and if there’s food left over, we make packs for them to take home.”
Because of the relaxed and more loosely structured nature of ACE Summer programming, bonds are strengthened between instructors and students, and these stronger relationships carry into the following school year.
“They’re having fun, they’re there with their friends, they’re doing what they want to do, and they haven’t been sitting in class all day,” says Mr. Hayes. “So we kind of get the best versions of each other – they get the best versions of their teachers, and teachers get the best versions of their students. They’re not tired, and they come and are ready to engage and participate.”
This year’s ACE Summer Programming ended earlier this month, and CISNT is grateful to our incredible ACE Site Coordinators and our amazing students and families who made this Summer’s programming a HUGE success!
All year long, CISNT is #AllInForKids!
Looking for ways to get involved? The new school year is right around the corner, and CISNT is welcoming volunteers back to campus! There are plenty of opportunities – from one-on-one mentoring and academic coaching to leadership groups, there’s something for everyone! Visit https://cisnt.org/volunteer/ or fill out our Volunteer Interest Form.
