Program Status
- 1. I – General Overview We at Peach Road Community Center have a very unique job. We have the opportunity to change children’s life forever and for the best. Not too many children here have a positive influence in their lives and the staff here is more than willing to be that influence. The Robinwood Neighborhood is filled with potential and has a bright future in a rough part of the City. Peach Road Community Center 911 Ileagnes Road Raleigh, NC 27603 March 15, 2004
- 3. II – Verbal Overview A. Staffing Positions: Park Manager, After School X-Press (ASX)/Summer Camp Director, ASX/Summer Camp Counselor, Recreational Leader/Aid There are no full-time staff members based out of Peach Road. The Supervisor for the center is at Wade Avenue. The Park Manager is responsible for overseeing the day to day operations at the center. Weekdays: (August – May) 2:00 – 8:00 pm – Park Manager 4:00 – 7:00 pm – ASX Director/Counselor Weekdays (June – Mid August) 7:15 – 3:00 – Summer Camp Counselor/Director 9:00 – 5:00 – Summer Camp Counselor 10:00 – 6:00 – 2 Summer Camp Counselors 2:00 – 8:00 – Park Manager Weekends (Year-Round) 9:00 – 3:00 – 2 staff members on Saturday 1:00 – 6:00 – 1 staff member on Sunday (depending on needs or special events) B. Responsibilities General Park Operations – Includes staffing, administration, payroll, budget, general park maintenance, patrols, and cleanliness are handled by either the Park Manager and/or Wade Avenue Supervisor. Revenue – One of the Park Managers jobs is to create new programs that will increase revenue for the center. New programs along with rentals help increase the revenue that the center brings to the City of Raleigh. Programming – The Park Manager is responsible for creating and implementing new programs, along with some input from his/her staff, for the center and bringing all ideas to their supervisor. The supervisor has the final approval in what programs will or will not be held at the center. Special Events – In conjunction with City Wide Special Events (i.e. Egg Hunt), Peach Road has its own Special Events either ran by our staff, Community Services or N.C. State University Service Learning Programs (PRT 358). These have all been successful special events in the past. We take accept donations for special events from local businesses or the City of Raleigh due to the lack of revenue that the center generates.
- 4. Marketing – Marketing is done in several ways. Our individual center brochure, the Leisure Ledger and the City of Raleigh Website (RecLink) are the three best ways to market our programs to the public. For neighborhood clients we will go door-to-door to inform them of new programs at the center or we will attach flyers to mailboxes. We also have a bulletin board inside the center that has flyers of all our current andupcoming classes along with other programs at other community centers.
- 5. C. Major Challenges and Solutions 1. Getting participants to come to programs Challenge: This is by far our toughest challenge, due to financial burdens and lack of parent involvement. We can create as many programs as we would like, but that does no good if you have zero participants for those programs. We have struggled to get participants into programs. Solution: We do whatever it takes to get children attending our programs. For instance, walking children home after ASX and Cheerleading class is over, with a signed parental release form. When most of our programs end at night, we walk the children home. If that is what it takes to get programs started and rolling, that is exactly what we are going to do. 2. Vandalism Challenge: We have had a problem with children vandalizing the building with rocks or whatever is available to break a window or just to throw at the building. Several staff cars have been severely damaged by neighborhood children. Solution: There is always a ringleader with these children. We sat the ringleaders down and got the staff and the children on the same page in the same book. Since we had that talk with the children we have had zero acts of vandalism since September. Another solution is that we have had a security system installed in the center. We have six cameras that monitor the center, three inside and three outside. 3. Poverty Challenge: Peach Road Community Center is located is in a needy part of the city. Some families barely have enough money to make ends meet every month; money is so tight they don’t have $2.00 to spare a week. Solution: Offer new programs at a low cost or free. This will let the staff know if there is interest in the class. After interest is established, we will then see about charging a minimal fee for the class. We started our cheerleading class as a free program then started charging $1.00 a week for a six week session after we saw that there was a large interest for the program and it has been going strong since. From March 2004 – August 2004 the center only had three offered programs which where, After School X-Press, Clean-Up Day which we were both free programs. The only charged program was Summer X-Press, for $10 per week. The staff has added several new programs to the center since August 2004.
- 6. 1. Pom Pom Fun (Cheerleading) 2. Flag Football Tournament 3. 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament 4. After School X-Press 5. English as a Second Language 6. Saturday Safari (Nature Class) 7. Stranger Danger, Weapon Danger, Hazards of Drug Use (Police Department) 8. Parent/Child Book Club (through Salem Elementary) 9. Bella Italia (Cooking Class) 10.Bingo Here are some graphs to show increased enrollment in certain programs throughout different sessions and/or months After School X-Press *We have one of the largest After School Programs in the City of Raleigh. We are the only center in the southern part of the city as capacity. The rest of the centers that are at capacity are in the northern part of the city. None of the other centers in the southern part of the city are even near capacity. 11 0 18 7 35 35 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Number Enrolled August December January Month After School Enrollment Enrolled Number Receiving Scholarship