Three afterschool sites have been established in a partnership with Carteret County School System at Atlantic, Harkers Island, and Smyrna Elementary schools. This began with a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant awarded to Communities In Schools of Carteret County in March 2008. There are up to 120 students being served in grades 3-8 Monday through Thursday afternoons for three hours afterschool. Each site concentrates on academic remediation, homework assistance, physical activity, character education and enrichment opportunities such as Art, 4-H, piano lessons, gardening clubs. Special academic tools such as read180 and Accelerated Math are utilized to provide individualized instruction to the students. The program has a teacher:student ratio of no more than 1:10, with each site having a site coordinator, lead teacher, and assistant(s). There have also been student volunteer partnerships with East Carteret High School as well as some of them joining us as paid interns during the summer program.

One of our greatest ongoing partners is the Core Sound Decoy Carving Guild, who has provided volunteers the past two years to assist the students in creating first a small decoy, then this year a full size waterfowl carving, that was then entered into the Youth Decoy carving festival in December. These students will also have the opportunity to enter them into the rigging contest in June. Some of the other students have also partnered with the Core Sound Quilting Guild and made quilted pillows. These students also have the opportunity to enter these into the Quilt festival in May. Mr. Rhinehardt, the Down East Art teacher has also been a fabulous partner, providing these students quality art instruction during special afterschool projects. Some of the artwork has made it into print for notecards, which are on sale for $10 a pack to continue supporting projects for these afterschool students.

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