FOUNDATIONS FOR EXCELLENCE
Before/After School Program
Children enter the Palmetto Youth Center as Tiny Tots, and receive education and reinforcement of the fundamental skills that are necessary for successful life-long academic and social success.
Foundations for Excellence provides before and after school care, as well as a summer program, so as to ensure that working parents have an affordable and productive option, in lieu of leaving children unsupervised. Children are transported to and from school, in addition to participating in our programs, which are provided under the direction of qualified educational and recreational instructors.
The program gives parents a place to bring their children before work during the hours of 6:30-8:30 am. Children are taken to school on the Palmetto Youth Center school bus, and, if participating in the after-school program, are picked up and transported back to the Youth Center at the end of the day, to learn and play until an adult is available to take them home. This service is offered Monday through Friday throughout the school year.
Summer Camp is offered to the community’s youth during the summer months. Sessions are 6:30 am until 6:00 pm Monday through Friday. Lunches are provided to the children from the USDA food program.
The Program includes many components.
All children are enrolled in “Positive Futures”, designed to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors related to alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use. This prevention program has a separate, developmentally appropriate curriculum for each grade level.
They also participate in our “Next Step” and “Bridge” Programs. “Next Step” focuses on Leadership Development, Healthy Lifestyles, Computer Skills, and FCAT Preparedness, while the “Bridge” Program creates a language bridge between English and Spanish speaking participants – teaching Spanish to English speaking participants and English to Spanish Speaking students.
Finally, all children are engaged in our unique activities that foster interest in “STEAM” (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math). We appeal to our youth by offering practical experiences. Among many other activities, students use their skills to find buried treasure and to tune up their bicycles, teaching the real benefit to math and science and broadening the perspective of our youth.