After-School Club
“I love playing with my new friends. If I find someone I want to be my friend, I will help him.” — Ghaith, ASC Participant and Syrian Refugee
Each afternoon, Collateral Repair’s Family Resource and Community Center fills with the sound of children playing and laughing at our After-School Club (ASC). Two age groups each meet twice per week to learn and laugh. Programming always includes both academic and trauma-relief games and activities each week. Our education specialist, Karam, leads a team of dedicated volunteers to ensure the classroom is a safe and reliable part of the kids’ routines.
Many of the kids at ASC are not currently in school, and those who are are often behind after gaps in their schooling, overcrowded classrooms, and trauma-related stress. After-School Club helps the children develop their literacy and numeracy skills. For many of the kids, this is a less stressful environment than a school where they may be the only refugee or student of their religion or country of origin or where they may be older than their classmates.
In children, lingering trauma can manifest as trouble focusing, behavioral issues, and difficulty trusting people around them, among others. Our programming aims to help kids work through these issues and develop healthy coping strategies. The ASC curriculum covers topics such as mutual respect, identity, and mindfulness. Activities often include breathing exercises and expressing difficult emotions in healthy ways. Collateral Repair Project provides a safe space and opportunities for children who have faced immense disruption in their lives to connect with other kids in meaningful ways.
The After-School Club is a part of our Education Campaign with Rotary International. Many children in this program are also beneficiaries of our school-supply distribution and received backpacks, uniforms, and school supplies. Each class ends with nutritious snacks, low-stress homework, and a lot of smiling faces.
Special thanks to Rotary International and Schüler Helfen Leben for their support in this program!
We rely heavily on our team of volunteers, both local and foreign, to carry our After-School Program. Interested in joining them?
Learn More
How Refugee Kids Prepare for Christmas
“What I like most about Christmas is going to Church,” says Jamal, who comes from Iraq and takes part in CRP’s After-School Club. “I always like going to Church because I like the singing, it’s the best part.” Jamal goes to Church every Saturday with his grandmother and aunt because Sundays are working days in […]
Childcare: Crucial for Mothers, Great for Kids
Childcare is not only a space where kids can play, learn and grow. It is also crucial for mothers who need someone to look after their children when they want to engage in the center’s activities.
Thank You, American Community School!
Kids love to run around, play, and do sports. Since there are no adequate facilities around Hashemi Shamali, CRP partnered up with the American Community School and Blossom Hill to create a regular sports program at the ACS facilities . . .
Ensuring Nutrition with Healthy Snacks
At CRP, we make sure to provide nutritious food to every child in our programs. Parents are thrilled when they see their kids eating healthily, because it’s an even bigger challenge for them at home.
How We Create Long-Standing Friendships at CRP
At CRP, we give children various activities and organized events that will teach them to love and respect each other, themselves, their families, and the people that surround them.
How Parents Benefit from Our After-School Club
On any given weekday at CRP, you’ll find plenty of noisy playrooms where kids are just being kids. But sometimes the brightest smiles come from the parents lined up to greet them after activities are over.
CRP Summer Youth Camp Provides Fun, Interactive Learning Environment
This summer, CRP has been running its first Summer Youth Camp for children in our community. Every day, roughly 50 children ages 5 to 14 from Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Jordan come to the center and learn, socialize, and have fun together.
Quilt Distribution Held at After School Club
Thanks in part to the warm generosity of our donors, the children who attend our After School Club now have beautiful homemade quilts they can call their own to keep them warm through the cold winter nights.
Our New Homework Club!
Homework Club is open to kids of all ages and teens to help them better master their school work and allow them to participate in educational activities and games.