DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A new partnership is unfolding in south DeKalb County as the state of Georgia and the YMCA of Metro Atlanta are teaming up to help students overcome learning loss.
It's a partnership that State Senator Emanuel Jones believes will have a significant impact on local families.
"When you look at this area of South DeKalb, there's not enough recreation for young people," Jones said, walking through the area's YMCA. "The YMCA has certain expertise in providing programming services for kids, which is why this facility is so critical to this community."
The South DeKalb location has ties to the neighborhood, and the location also marks the first site where the YMCA of Metro Atlanta first launched its afterschool programs.
Yet in April 2021, YMCA leadership reported "dwindling membership, youth program and partnership numbers" at the South DeKalb location, prompting the nonprofit to announce a temporary closure and a 'Community Needs Assessment.'
Jones said a group of DeKalb leaders have been seeking a solution, and recently, state funding allowed after-school programs to return with a new focus on learning loss.
Jones himself spearheaded the effort to secure $1 million in state funding while expressing gratitude to Governor Kemp and the appropriations committee for the investment.
"This is going to become an enriching environment for our children," Jones said of the YMCA partnership, "And I know there are going to be a lot of kids that are going to take advantage of the opportunities here and continue to grow and continue to get back in grade level so they can go on and be all that they can be."
"As we all know, there has been a need to address learning loss and really promote academic achievement,' Kim Nelson, senior vice president of program development at the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, said. "So with us now having this after-school program and bringing it back, we're able to really address that and be able to serve those families locally in the community."
The Y Explorer Afterschool program and clubs will focus on middle school students in South DeKalb, with special partner Anchor Charter School. The program not only provides academic support in literacy, math and STEAM learning but also provides opportunities for kids in the arts and sports.
Thanks to the state funding, the program is also free, Nelson shared.
"We're so excited about this opportunity to support," she added. Having this funding come in and to provide not just quality childcare but additional resources and support is huge."
Plans are also in the works for a summer program, Nelson said, which will engage kindergarten through 10th-grade students in the area. Families can learn more about these opportunities as well as holiday camps by following updates on the YMCA of Metro Atlanta's website.
The YMCA of Metro Atlanta also sent the following statement in response to 11Alive's questions about the status of Y membership programs in South DeKalb as well as the need for further state funding:
"Our critical focus areas in the South DeKalb community are on positive youth development. The launch of the current afterschool and summer programming at the South DeKalb Y is a direct response to the needs of the community; in this case, the need to strategically address student learning loss, which we know was exacerbated by the pandemic. As a nonprofit, we raise funds annually to support many of our programs, and that would certainly be the case to support future youth programs in South DeKalb or any Y location. We will continue to assess opportunities and partnerships that align with serving the community."