Community Outreach and After school Program

Context: The Creation of an After school program for students from Sunburst Elementary School
Mentor: Dr. / Pastor Randy Wieland

Date/Time: 6-3-08 with Kelly D. / Karen D.
Place: Kelly D.'s office (Children's Ministry)
Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Descriptive Notes: The basic outline of establishing an after school program for students in Grades 2- 6 was discussed with Kelly, Karen, and I. Kelly, as Director of Children's Ministry, meets with Dr. Wieland on a regular basis to discuss and to plan out this effort. During our meeting together, we reviewed advertisement efforts, the structure of the program, communication efforts that need to take place with the Principal of the school, as well as ways in which we can partner up with the school. Kelly also shared that she will be going to California to meet with the director of the SAY Yes program. This person will work with her and train her in ways of building and running this after school tutoring and child-care program.

Reflective Notes: Under Dr. Wieland's guidance, I believe that Kelly is moving this opportunity into an actual and tangible resource for the community. They have gone through DHS and have also reviewed ways to make this a drop-in program. They have also found strategic ways to integrate the church and its gifts into the needs of the school. As a former Principal of a school, I sure would have wished a church would have had the foresight to work with my team in the same manner. Another reason why I believe this partnership between church, 501 C3, and the school will be successful is because of Dr. Wieland's past experiences. As a youth pastor in California, he was able to establish a similar situation between his church and a neighboring school.