The Before and After Care team is making sure students families have access to educational activities this summer. Callie Ranes and Wheatina Bonner are handing out activity kits to families at meal sites. These kits include STEM, literacy, and art projects for students to work on at home. It is one of the many ways the district is working to combat the summer learning gap

“We are dedicated to reaching others in the community, and we’re dedicated to building students’ social emotional academic needs during this unprecedented time,” said Callie. “So far we have gotten to reach over 1,100 students with these kits.”

The kits allow students to make build, write, and draw. They can learn about science with rocket ships and literacy with a journal.

“They can express how they're feeling during this time at home because it is unusual,” she said.

The team has made a variety of kits for families so they are able to mix it up and continue learning. The kits also include information about projects families can do with recycling.

“The feedback [from families] has just been amazing,” she said.

The team has been giving out kits for the last seven weeks and plan to continue at least through the end of summer. In July, the kits can be found at these locations during meal pickup:

• Tuesday, July 14: Key Elementary & Robertson Elementary
• Monday, July 20: Bell Elementary
• Monday, July 27:  Lewis & Clark Elementary
• Tuesday, July 28: Grissom Elementary & Hoover Elementary

The kits are geared towards elementary students, but families are welcome to pick them up for students of any age.

Wheatina Bonner gives out kits to students at Key Elementary.