Enrichment centers enhance achievement; Ohio: Wood County Educational Service Center.

A school-community initiative providing after-school and summer enrichment and extended learning opportunities for targeted elementary-school-age children has boosted academic achievement among participants in Wood County, Ohio.

The program, an outgrowth of a countywide needs-assessment survey in 1998, resulted in the creation of the Community Learning Centers of Wood County. The centers provide after-school and summer enrichment activities in cooperation with numerous community partners and coordinated by the Wood County Educational Service Center.

The program began in 2000 with three centers and soon expanded to five, serving five school districts and their communities. After several years of successfully developing the program, the Wood County Educational Service Center was named the Ohio state winner in the 2006 National Civic Star Award competition.

The child and family needs assessment that led to the program was conducted by the Family and Children First Council, composed of representatives of 25 school and community organizations. The panel undertook the survey after local and national concern began to grow for schools and communities to become more involved in supporting student success.

The intent of the program is to involve the entire community in keeping children safe, nurturing them with enriching experiences, improving their academic success and supporting working families and their employers.

Successful collaboration is the key. An advisory board includes members from each school district served, the Bowling Green Economic Development Commission; Bowling Green State University; Children's Resource Center; Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board, and Wood County Educational Center. More than 60 public and private area organizations provide a wide array of programs fur the children.

Two-thirds of the more than 900 students who have participated in center activities are from limited-income families that often cannot afford the types of services and activities they can take part in through the program. Activities include reading and math tutoring by university students; field trips to historical centers; exploration of science, cooking and nutrition; physical activities; noncompetitive games; dramatic and creative arts; cultural appreciation and events; crafts, and construction projects.

Students, parents and teachers are surveyed quarterly, and the programs consistently receive positive ratings (over four on a five-point scale). Responses routinely encourage continued program expansion.

Parents say participation is a valuable experience for their children, that they feel comfortable at work knowing their children are participating in a well-planned program. They also appreciate the family-involvement activities.

Students say they enjoy attending program activities, feel safe and supported and like school better as a result of program participation. Students have demonstrated accelerated academic progress in reading and math through use of SuccessMaker and other academic intervention tools. In as little as 20 weeks, average grade-level performance in math advanced more than one year, and average grade-level performance in reading increased almost two years.

Teachers report seeing improved attitudes among student participants, increased instances of homework completion, better grades and improved behavior. From the outset, improving the quality of the program has been a chief focus.

While the centers were initially funded by a grant, the steady addition of community partners has brought added services and financial resources to the initiative. As part of its planning, the leadership panel has identified 12 additional school sites for potential centers.

For more information, contact Superintendent Douglas M. Garman at 1867 N. Research Dr., Bowling Green, Ohio 43402, or call [phone]. The e-mail address is [e-mail].