Supporting Engagement and Enrichment activities for children in Carlton
The Our Place Carlton team supported Carlton Primary School to enable children within the Carlton Learning Precinct to participate in a wide variety of free after-school activities.
The after-school engagement and enrichment program
Receiving a Federal grant from the Safer Communities Fund for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 financial years enabled Carlton Primary School to employ an after school program coordinator. This has lead to the delivery of various free after-school programs and activities for the children and families at the Carlton Learning Precinct.
The after-school programs and activities included Artsbus, 100 Story Building, sporting programs in partnership with local organisations, African drumming and a theatre program in collaboration with La Mama culminating in a public performance. During the funding period, approximately 122 students participated in these programs. Although the funding for this program has ceased, after-school activities will still be provided to students in future; however, they will be scaled back whilst other avenues and opportunities are explored.
Why are opportunities for children to participate in after-school Engagement and Enrichment activities so valuable?
At Our Place, we know that having the resources available to support children in attending after-school programs and activities is not always possible for families. So, we work with our partners and local community organisations to create and develop affordable and conveniently located after-school activities that all children can access.
Participating in and having an opportunity to try various activities supports children in exploring and developing new interests and receiving exposure to new and additional hobbies. Programs such as the ones mentioned above also help children to further develop their confidence, social networks, and interpersonal skills. They also support children’s health and fitness, and children often learn new skills and discover they have talent in areas they were not aware of before.
Parents and carers could also see the value in their children attending these sessions, with one parent stating that “the after-school program has been an awesome part of the school life of my child. I cannot thank you all enough… my child enjoys every part of every single day and every single club she has participated in!”
Aligning with the Our Place Approach
This is one example of the Out Place evidenced-based element of Engagement and Enrichment Activities for Children in action. This element focuses on providing children and families with opportunities to nurture their interests and experience success, and promotes a sense of pride, belonging and community among families.
The Key Features of this element include:
- All children are provided with affordable before/after school recreation activities, including opportunities for physical activities.
- All children are provided with opportunities to engage in activities that hold special interest (cooking, music, homework clubs, sport, art and craft activities) outside of school hours.
To find out more about our five evidence based elements Click Here
