Camp Covington is a summer camp offered by Covington Independent Schools in cooperation with Covington Partners. It gives students a chance to keep learning when school’s out.
What’s more, it’s offered free of charge to Covington Independent public school students thanks largely to federal grants through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative and private support.
The goal of out of school time programs like Camp Covington? “Academic enrichment and skill development opportunities during non-school hours for students, families and neighbors,” per the website of Covington Partners website.
“We are able to provide wraparound support services by transforming each school into a Community Learning Center that has the potential to be the hub of the community and the foundation for each student,” according to the Covington Partners 2020-2025 strategic plan. “When we commit to transform our school buildings into CLCs, we envision a place where a coordination of services are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., all year long.”
But demand for out of school time programs is outpacing supply in the state and region. Only 20 percent of Kentucky school children that need an afterschool program are enrolled in one, according to the Kentucky Out-of-School Alliance or KYOSA, an organization that advocates for and tracks out of school opportunities in the state.
Cheye Calvo, incoming CEO of the regional nonprofit EducateNKY, told LINK that out of school time as well as positive exposure to new experiences is a critical need in the region and a priority area for EducateNKY as it writes a strategic plan for learning in the river cities. That plan is expected to be released late this year.
“Out of school time and exposure is critically important for the healthy development of young people,” said Calvo. “It is very important that all students regardless of where they live have experiences that expand their minds and bring joy to learning. This is a case where the education community needs strong nonprofit partners to create the infrastructure that allows every child to find those opportunities that are going to excite and animate their learning.”
There are currently fee-based and non-fee based out of school time programs across the region. Covington-based Learning Grove, for example, offers fee-based programs, funding-assisted programming and more. Learning Grove is also a partner in the SHINE program, an out of school time program that is free to Ludlow Independent school students in grades K-6.
The program, at Mary A. Goetz Elementary, is so popular that it often has a wait list. Children are enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Spaces are limited and a waitlist will be utilized as is necessary,” the Ludlow Independent schools website said last week.
“Over the past decade, demand for these (OST) programs has skyrocketed while opportunity has shrunk. According to America After 3PM (a national survey of parents or guardians of school children), more than 280,000 children in Kentucky would be enrolled in an afterschool program if one were available to them,” KYOSA interim lead Stephanie Barker told LINK nky.
Cost is an issue. Approximately 56% of Kentucky families say out of school time programs are too expensive, according to the last America After 3PM survey in 2020. A lack of dedicated state funding for out of school time is among the barriers to participation.
“Most OST programs operate on a fee-for-service model,” Barker told LINK. Parents paid an average of $117.90/week per child for afterschool programs, $152.70/week per child for voluntary summer programs and $239.50/week per child for specialty summer camps or programs for out of school time according to America After 3PM.
“The bottom line is this: afterschool and summer programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and support working families. But too many kids, families, and communities across our state don’t have access despite widespread public support for increased funding for afterschool,” Barker told LINK.
Fee-based out of school time varies in NKY. Boone County had 39 licensed afterschool programs countywide as of 2021 according to county-specific data provided by KYOSA. All Boone County sites were fee-based at that time, according to KYOSA.
In Kenton County there were 89 afterschool programs in 2021 reported by KYOSA. Of those, 14.6% were non-fee based.
Afterschool program information specific to Campbell County was not available on the KYOSA website, although a graphic on the KYOSA site showed at least 50 out of school time programs in Campbell County in 2023.
Still, advocates for out of school time and exposure to new experiences say more opportunities are needed — especially in areas like the river cities.
Examples of positive exposure may include career day, a hiking trip, a day at a museum or something as simple as reading to a child, EducateNKY officials told LINK.
“The goal should be to build capacity of one or more nonprofit organizations to serve and incentivize River City districts and others with a significant share of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to enhance extra-time programming, activate hands-on learning, expand exposure and enrichments, and help students see the larger world while imagining what is possible for them in it,” according to EducateNKY’s landscape assessment released this spring.
What that will ultimately look like depends on NKY, says EducateNKY– with plenty of room for collaboration.
“Learning does not end with the school day,” EducateNKY wrote in its landscape assessment. “”Exposure and out of school time is an area that is ripe for partnership and collaboration across schools and districts to ensure all students receive extra time afterschool, on weekends, and during the summer to enrich their learning experiences.”