East Atlanta Kids Club Inc

TO BUILD A PROMISING FUTURE FOR CHILDREN IN SOUTHEAST ATLANTA.

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023, THE EAST ATLANTA KIDS CLUB, INC. OPERATED THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS:(I) AFTER SCHOOL: KIDS CLUB & TEEN CLUB TUTORING, MENTORING AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FOR PROMISING YOUTH FROM LOW TO MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, AGES 5 TO 17. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES INCLUDE LEARNING ACCELERATION AND TUTORING, POSITIVE SPORTS-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING, STEAM PROGRAMMING, HEALTHY EATING, SOCIO-EMOTIONAL PROGRAMMING, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS. IN 2023, EAKCS PROGRAM WAS DELIVERED FULLY IN-PERSON, AND EAKC DELIVERED AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY FOR THE DURATION OF THE ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS CALENDAR YEAR.(II) CAMP FULL S.T.E.A.M. SUMMER CAMP POSITIVE SPORTS-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING, STEAM PROGRAMMING, AND SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAMMING. OFFERED FOR 6 WEEKS DURING JUNE AND JULY 2022. IN 2022, THIS 6-WEEK DURATION REPRESENTED A SUSTAINED INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS 4-WEEK FORMAT DELIVERED UP UNTIL 2021, AND THIS INCREASED DURATION WAS INTENDED TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF LEARNING LOSS EXPERIENCED BY EAKCS YOUTH PLACED AT-RISK AS A RESULT OF THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC. IN 2023, CAMP FULL S.T.E.A.M. INCLUDED TWO CAMPS RUNNING CONCURRENTLY AT THE EAKC PROGRAM SITE, OFFERING OLDER YOUTH A MODULAR S.T.E.A.M.-BASED CAMP FOCUSED ON PODCASTING AND APP DEVELOPMENT WHILE YOUNGER YOUTH ENGAGED IN A HOLISTIC S.T.E.A.M.-BASED CAMP WITH A FOCUS ON LITERACY AND POSITIVE SPORTS-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ALONGSIDE S.T.E.A.M. PROGRAMMING.(III) PARENT CAFES IN 2023, PARENT CAFES CONTINUED AS AN INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO CONVENT PARENTS AND GUARDIANS ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO CREATE A STRONGER UMBRELLA OF SUPPORT FOR EAKCS YOUTH DURING AND OUTSIDE OF THE PROGRAM DAY. THIS PROGRAM BEGAN WITH MONTHLY FAMILY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS AND ALSO UTILIZED SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS WITH PROGRAM FAMILIES TO IDENTIFY GROWTH AREAS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING.(IV) FOOD SECURITY AS A PARTNER AGENCY OF THE ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK, EAKC HAS HISTORICALLY SERVED 6,000 POUNDS OF FOOD PER YEAR IN A CONGREGATE SETTING. BEGINNING WITH THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC IN MARCH OF 2020, EAKC INCREASED ITS FOOD SECURITY WORK TO DISTRIBUTING 1,000-3,000 POUNDS PER WEEK TO HOUSEHOLDS IN NEED IN SOUTHEAST ATLANTA. THIS BEGAN WITH DELIVERY SERVICES FOR THE FIRST MONTH, AND THEN AS THE SCOPE AND SCALE OF THE OPERATION GREW, EAKC SHIFTED TO A CURBSIDE PICKUP MODEL WITH HOUSEHOLDS CHOOSING APPOINTMENTS TO MANAGE THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AT EAKCS SITE AND ENSURE NEED WAS BEING MET IN A SAFE, SOCIALLY DISTANCED MANNER. DUE TO MULTI-YEAR FUNDING COMMITMENTS AND CLEAR ONGOING NEED, EAKC HAS MAINTAINED THIS PROGRAM THROUGHOUT 2023, AND EAKC INTENDS TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM THROUGH JULY OF 2024 AT A MINIMUM.(V) COUNSELING & THERAPY IN 2023, A PILOT PROGRAM BEGAN WITH A FOCUS ON THREE AREAS OF IMPROVED SERVICE DELIVERY: 1. PROVIDING ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING TO EAKC STAFF ON HOW TO SERVE YOUTH WITH ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACES), 2. WORKSHOPS FOR EAKC PARENTS AND GUARDIANS TO SUPPORT WORK TOWARD IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE DISCIPLINE FOR YOUTH, AND 3. NO-COST GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING SERVICES PROVIDED TO EAKC YOUTH MOST PLACED AT-RISK THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL COUNSELING FIRM ROOT & BLOSSOM COUNSELING.