CHCCS and YMCA Create New Learning Centers To Support Remote Instruction

Chapel Hill, NC – Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA have established a partnership to provide academic support and supervised care free of charge for 100 identified K-5 students in two learning centers. The program will serve the students for the entire first semester, operating from 8 am until 3:15 pm, with extended care available. This collaboration will be funded primarily by the Oak Foundation and the CHCCS Public School Foundation to cover tuition, food, and transportation. The YMCA “We Build People” annual campaign will also underwrite some of the costs.

The programs will open at Hargraves Center and the Town of Chapel Hill Community Center on Tuesday, September 1 with a YMCA staff Program Director at each site, along with five academic support leaders from the CHCCS after school program staff. Additional student support staff (school social workers, counselors, nurses) will also provide in-person services as needed. Buses will provide transportation for those students who do not live in walk-zones.

The 100 identified students will be those who reside in one of the district’s academic priority segments, which are student assignment areas where the student’s historical academic achievement is below the standard on End-of-Grade assessments. Crossing guards will provide coverage for student walkers, and the Child Nutrition team will deliver breakfast, lunch, and snacks to each student.

All state and county safety protocols will be in place, with daily temperature monitoring and COVID-19 attestation forms completed. Sufficient space will allow for appropriate social distancing, and students will use masks provided by the district.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA Executive Director, Kim Grooms, said, “The Y is so glad to partner with CHCCS to reach as many families as possible during this challenging time. We feel strongly that our teams complement each other well, and our aligned missions to support students and families make this a natural collaboration to address a critical need.”