Niles Community Schools and the Niles-Buchanan YMCA are partnering to bring a unique after-school program to Oak Manor Sixth Grade Center this fall.

Participating students will meet after school to engage in activities designed to raise academic achievement, improve physical fitness and aid in social interaction.

The program meets four days a week, Monday through Thursday, until around 5 p.m. One bus will be provided to take students home, if needed. However, parents will be encouraged to pick up their kids.

Supt. Richard Weigel said letters containing information about the program would be sent out to Oak Manor parents in September. A presentation about the program will also be offered at Oak Manor in September. The program is scheduled to begin Sept. 23.

“We are excited to be working together and sharing our resources to do something exciting for the sake of kids,” said Weigel.

School district staff and YMCA staff will teach the program. Funding will come from the district’s at-risk funds and the YMCA.

Weigel said this is a pilot program that, if successful, would expand to Howard and Ballard, possibly next year.

Mark Weber, CEO of N-B YMCA, said the program could expand to Brandywine Community Schools and Buchanan Community Schools in the future.
Niles Community Schools and the YMCA came together earlier this year to talk about ways to improve the lives of area children. They didn’t have a plan at first, but formed the idea for the after-school program after many discussions.

“When we first sat down we had some dialogue and came to the agreement that this isn’t about the Y, it’s not about the schools, it’s about the kids,” Weber said. “We thought about what we could do to make a difference and from there things started falling in place.”