HOPE After-School

More than a quarter of America’s schoolchildren are on their own after school and before parents get home from work.  despite growing awareness that children are at particular risk during these hours, the number of children left on their own in the afternoons has actually increased in the last five years.  Better Basics is committed to providing meaningful and enriching after-school opportunities through four HOPE 21st Century Community Learning Centers.  These centers are models of after-school excellence and serve students in grades K-8 in Fairfield City schools.  The HOPE Centers are safe-havens that allow children to explore their interests, express themselves artistically, recieve the extra academic support they need and have daily healthy snacks and exercise.  Hard work, perseverance and responsiblity are important life skills students gain as they learn to plant and harvest their own healthy fruits and vegetables by working in a community garden located at each center site.

By providing a safe and healthy environment after school, Better Basics desires to create lasting changes in our students’ lives by teaching healthy lifestyles that include academic, emotional and physical well-being.