We have been actively fundraising to continue our after school programming for the Pagosa community. Because of your support we have been able to start our programming and provide it free to our participants. We currently are serving 100 students K-12. Eighty percent of the students we serve are considered at risk and underserved. We are working to continue offering this programming free of charge to the students in our community. We hope to help as many parents as possible with the ongoing childcare crises and the lack of out-of-school time options.
This programming is critical to our local economy and workforce by providing childcare so parents can work a full day without interruption or paying for additional childcare. However, it also supplements our economy through our job training/internship program. Students in grades 5-12 have the option to participate in the program as mentors and job training interns. These students mentor the students in the after-school program through positive character building and leading by example. They participate in leadership and mentorship training on an ongoing basis while also working to build their professional skills, such as practicing communication, presentation, character development, and building networks within a community.
Additionally, we have provided thirteen families service through our family advocacy program. Through this program, we work to connect families to local resources. We help to stabilize families by connecting them to family education options such as parenting classes for teen and school-aged youth, helping them to navigate the school system and other systems, and connecting them to mental health resources. We are working towards supporting eighteen families this year through this program. We hope to help stabilize families and provide them with necessary preventative support to allow them to operate more successfully as a family unit.
