By Elizabeth Wulfhorst
RED BANK – Parents shouldn’t have to choose between going to work and giving their children support during virtual education classes, something many families had to cope with this spring and again as most schools enter the 2020-21 school year with a hybrid learning model.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County (BGCM) agrees. That is why they’ve opened two remote learning centers, at their facilities in Red Bank and Asbury Park, where students through middle school can come during online school days to get help logging on and staying focused on academics.
The Red Bank location, at 138 Drs. James Parker Blvd., can support up to 30 students while still providing all the necessary safety protocols. The Asbury Park location can handle 70 students. “We have put together a COVID-19 management plan that is pretty robust in terms of maintaining all of the requirements that the Department of Health and CDC recommend when opening up a facility like ours,” explained Douglas Eagles, executive director of BGCM.
The decision to open the centers was not a “long-term strategic decision,” said Eagles, but more a “short-term reaction to the choices that schools have been making” with regard to COVID-19.
BGCM is typically an after-school provider of support for children but Eagles said the organization was concerned about the ability of the kids they serve to “successfully navigate the academic uncertainty of the school year.”
“We just knew that, given what we do and the passion that we have for serving the kids in the community, that we could open up our doors and provide them with support as they went through this virtual learning experience and also at the same time provide parents with options,” Eagles said.
The remote learning centers are staffed by BGCM youth development professionals who are trained to assist students with any technology issues and printing needs, and help them stay on schedule and meet academic deadlines. During a student’s downtime or free period, those professionals can also provide academic enrichment through handouts and other activities and, while not teachers, they can give basic homework assistance.
Over the summer, in anticipation of a potential all-virtual or partially virtual fall, BGCM upgraded its technology infrastructure to be able to provide the necessary bandwidth to handle 30 students online at the same time. Students are socially distanced within the facility and use headphones during class time so they don’t disrupt one another. Masks are required.
Eagles said parents the response from parents has been relief. “There’s a high level of anxiety and anxiousness around,” he said, with parents questioning, “What’s the best thing for my kid? How can I provide the best possible support to my kid given the circumstances? And I think what we’re doing at the club is… serving a population that doesn’t have a lot of financial resources to solve this issue.”
The cost and length of the program varies between the two centers. Red Bank offers the option of two-day or three-day learning; Asbury offers a five-day program. The cost in Red Bank is between $62 and $93 a week and full scholarships are available. The programs are on a first-come, first-served basis but once signed up, students will have that slot until in-person classes fully resume at their school, whenever that may be. Both centers still have some availability.
Families not eligible for childcare subsidies through the state can take advantage of private scholarships to cover the fee, Eagles said.
BGCM also provides breakfast and lunch for each student in the program, through partnerships with Lunch Break and Fulfill. “We have a long and strong relationship with Gwen (Love) and her team” at Lunch Break, Eagles said, and BGCM continues to run its traditional after school program so kids can stay once the remote learning center program day ends and also receive dinner.
“We care about the kids that come through our doors and we really do whatever it takes to ensure that they can succeed in life and in this new unprecedented time. That means providing an opportunity for these kids to come to our clubs during the school day and do their schoolwork so their parents can go to their jobs and earn a living,” Eagles said. “And we’re going to continue to adapt and innovate as needed to do what’s best for the kids that come to the club.”More information about the remote learning centers and an application can be found at the BGCM website at bgcmonmouth.org.
This article originally appeared in the Sept. 24-30, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
