Beyond The Bell
As a leader in healthy living, we know that living in poverty is often linked to an increase in health-related issues in kids, including poor nutrition, obesity, increased behavioural and emotional problems, as well as low academic achievement. YMCA Beyond the Bell is a philanthropically funded after-school academic achievement program that gives vulnerable children the additional help they need to keep pace with their grade level and peers. When the gap is wide, children can fall through the cracks and our program aims to close the achievement gap.
Research shows, as early as kindergarten, children from middle-income families already have a 6-month academic advantage over children from low-income backgrounds due to access to early reading and pre-school education that aren’t always available to low-income children. By grade 5, low-income children can be 2.5–3 years behind academically. This gap continues to widen each year and ultimately affects their future academic and career opportunities as well as their overall health.
The Beyond the Bell Program:
Beyond the Bell is unique to the YMCA. There is no other program like it in BC; it removes barriers and offers measurable outcomes. Beyond the Bell is offered free of charge to 40 identified vulnerable students at Glenview Elementary School, in Prince George. The YMCA is eager to expand as funding permits. The very low ratio of 1 leader to 5 children sets this program apart from any other. Programming includes; homework help, recreation, healthy snacks, values education, literacy and numeracy.
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Power Hour:
Thanks to Canadian Tire Jumpstart, the current Beyond the Bell participants are participating in Jumpstart Power Hour in the 2019/2020 school year where Jumpstart funding has allowed children to take part in formal sports lessons as a part of the program’s recreation component. Each Friday, children are transported for an hour of sport skill building thanks to this funding. During the fall of 2017, 2018, and 2019 children participated in skating lessons, and during the spring of 2018 and 2019, children participated in swimming lessons. Thank you to the Jumpstart team for making this possible!
Beyond the Bell Program Funding:
YMCA Beyond the Bell is made possible through the generosity of donors. The annual cost per child to attend YMCA Beyond the Bell is $2,000. The tangible societal costs per high school dropout are estimated at $10,782. We need your support to ensure seamless continuation of this program. You can transform exasperation into inspiration, apathy into ambition and hopelessness into the power to feel that anything is possible.
THANK YOU DONORS
YMCA Beyond the Bell would like to extend a warm thank you to some of our generous donors.
Special recognition goes to Enbridge as well as Prince George Community Foundation for their recent support. Without supporters like these, we could not offer this program to help the children in our community thrive.
