Location: Washington, D.C.
Cost: $2,650,000 (2008 fiscal year budget)
The Heads Up afterschool program provides low-income, “high potential” students from some of the lowest-performing schools in Washington, D.C. the opportunity to learn individually or in small groups with dedicated tutors. The tutors work with their students on completing the day’s homework assignments, participating in literature circles and examining challenging math problems. Each session also includes a healthy snack. The program runs from 3:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in six elementary and middle schools.
In addition, Heads Up operates a summer program that runs each weekday for six weeks, with a curriculum focused on community service projects.
Heads Up serves more than 800 children each year. Enrollment is by application and is open to all K to 8 students in the neighborhoods served by schools that house the program. All programs are free of charge. Each student is paired with one of more than 300 part-time tutors, mostly local college students, who are paid through federal work-study grants. Heads Up receives approximately $256,000 from these grants to pay up to 100 percent of the compensation for literacy or math tutors.
A full-time staff of 16 runs the program. In the fiscal year 2008, Heads Up has received federal grants from the AmeriCorps National Service Program, the Corporation for National Service, the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program and the USDA food program. The program also provides tutoring as a Supplemental Educational Services provider as authorized under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. In addition, Heads Up receives support from local foundations, individuals and corporations. The District of Columbia public school system provides classroom space and security and custodial services free of charge. Heads Up estimates that in 2008 the total cost per student for school year and summer programming was $3,500.
www.headsup-dc.org
Updated January, 2009.
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