Submitted by Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County
With schools closed county-wide for the foreseeable future, Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County (BGCWC) is stepping up to help local students and their families by utilizing its Clubhouses and licensed daycare sites as distanced learning centers.
The program, titled Project Connect, will provide safe, staff supervised spaces for accessing remote learning assigned by the school districts at sites in Bellingham and Ferndale to begin with, progressing to sites in Blaine and Lynden if demand warrants.
Project Connect will serve youth, K-6th grade. The program will run from 8 am to 2:30 pm each weekday, followed by Boys & Girls Club after-school programming until 5:00pm. Lunch and snack will be served and staff will provide help with schoolwork as well as enrichment activities to reinforce class content.
In accordance with BGCWC’s COVID-19-informed safety and sanitation protocols, staff and youth will be health screened prior to entering Clubhouses or daycares. Facilities will be cleaned and sanitized in adherence to CDC guidelines for COVID-19 and all social distancing guidelines will be followed. Staff will wear masks and masks will be required for kids as well throughout the day.
BGCWC CEO Heather Powell says that “Until schools can safely reopen, it is imperative that the Boys & Girls Clubs do all we can to provide students with affordable, alternative learning sites that provide high-quality educational opportunities in an environment conducive to learning with access to high-speed internet, and staff supervision.”
Making matters more challenging is the anticipated increased learning loss heading into this school year. It is expected to be far more pronounced than that typically experienced by students over the summer break, particularly by those in under-served communities. As BGCWC works to support the efforts of our school districts, we know we will need to provide more academic assistance than ever before. For more information, please visit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County website.
