Kids' Club Program
Kids' Club Afterschool Program
September 16, 2024–June 2, 2025
Monday–Thursday, 3:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.
The Kids’ Club Afterschool Program provides a safe, supportive and encouraging environment where children can learn, grow and succeed. The program is licensed by the Department of Early Education & Care (EEC) and serves children in grades 2–6 (between 7–12 years old) who live in Springfield and are from families considered to be low-income. There is a $50 participation fee per child for the academic year, and eligible siblings are offered a discounted rate of $25.
The children receive academic support, develop literacy skills, participate in constructive activities, and enjoy nutritious snacks, while
surrounded by supportive and positive role models. Each week the children learn a Character Value word such as community, respect, perseverance, self-discipline and gratitude. The children define the words and are challenged to put them into action during the program, at school and at home, creating opportunities for character and vocabulary building. In addition to homework help and literacy development, Kids' Club provides a wide range of opportunities for children to be physically active, emotionally centered, and intellectually curious.
Kids’ Club focuses on community building, improving self-esteem, character development and establishing a strong foundation for the youth’s academic and personal success. We recognize that we cannot do this alone and work closely with the parents, guardians and the teachers of the children to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to the child’s individuals needs and how to best support the child and each other.
Throughout the pandemic, parents credited the program with having a significant positive impact on their children's mental health. The stability, opportunities for social interactions, and fun activities we provide, help ensure that our children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum, regardless of the disruptions and stress brought about by the pandemic.
Kids' Club Summer Program
July 7–August 1, 2025
Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Update (4/2/24): Our Kids' Club Summer program is filled! We are currently accepting applications for our waitlist, as well as applications for our afterschool program that begins in September. Please reach out to education@grayhouse.org with questions or for more information.
The Kids' Club Summer program provides children with an educational and engaging experience focused on literacy support, self-discovery, community and character building…and, of course, lots of fun!
This program serves children ages 7–12 who live in Springfield and are from families considered to be low-moderate income. The program runs Monday through Friday for four weeks. There is a $50 fee for children to participate (sibling discount available). Breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided each day of the program.
One of the main goals of the program is to address "summer slide" or summer learning loss. According to the National Summer Learning Association, low-income children lose more than two months in reading achievement during the summer. Many children experience this year after year and by the end of fifth grade, can be more than two years behind their middle-class peers. It takes the children six weeks to re-learn old material in the fall. When children read over the summer, they may gain a month of proficiency in reading. It only takes two to three hours of reading per week to prevent summer learning loss!