Latino After-School Program 

The Latino After-School Program with the Hoover Coalition Promoting a Safe and Healthy Community with Hoover City Schools serves Latino students from Gwin, Green Valley, and Rocky Ridge Elementary Schools, and Simmons Middle School who have been recommended based on academic need.  The program day consists of tutoring and homework assistance, drug, alcohol and violence prevention curriculum implementation, special enrichment program presentations and snack and recreation time. 

A total of around 120 students are served by the program.  Students are recommended by their classroom teacher based on academic need, and then the list is previewed by ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers and Instructional Support teachers to develop a priority list.  The students with the greatest need are invited to attend, and the rest are placed on a waiting list and are invited to attend when slots are available.  Certified teachers at each site are hired as Site Coordinators to supervise the program, and Team Leaders are hired to work with a class size of around 12 students.  Volunteers are also recruited to work with students to read with children, play math games, etc.   The Program Coordinator is Catherine Rice, who has worked with the program for four of its five years of existence.  The program is grant funded with U.S. Department of Education Safe and Drug Free Schools dollars given to the Governor’s office of each state and awarded through competitive yearly grants and are dispersed and managed by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Law Enforcement Traffic Safety division.  This year’s grant, number 07-GV-SP-009, is in the amount of $72,000.

Family Night events are held once a month to encourage parental involvement at their children's schools.  Various community groups and organizations sponsor themed events, and games and activities are provided for the children while the parents are taught a variety of topics such as homework assistance for their children, drug, alcohol and violence prevention techniques, and parenting skills. 

Support from the community is valued, such as partnerships with the Hoover Service Club, Shades Crest Baptist Church, and Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church, who provide healthy snacks (or funding for the snacks), because federal grant dollars cannot be spent on food.

Evaluations of the program from the school year 2006/2007 found that eighty-six percent of students who had participated in the program either maintained or improved their academic performance.   

 We look forward to partnering with other community groups and organizations, as well as volunteers, to help make this program have another tremendously successful year!!  For more information please contact Catherine Rice, 439-1823, or email at crice@hoover.k12.al.us

Photographs from events:

All Spain Park Spanish National Honor Society Students signed a banner for program participants.	Family Night event: January 2007	Hoover High Juniorettes sponsor Family Night: April 2007	Hoover Juniorettes help make crafts for Cinco de Mayo Family Night.	Kids on the Block Children's Hospital visit
Lation After-School Program Family Night with Spain Park Spanish NHS.	Mardi Gras parade!!!	Spain Park Spanish NHS students host a Mardi Gras Family Night event: February 2007	Spain Park Spanish NHS and the books they wrote and illustrated