Demand prompts Boys & Girls Clubs to open additional learning centers

Start dates, hours and signup information now available

Citing increased demand, Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio is adding four more ClubSmart Learning Center sites to the 11 originally identified by the organization as places where kids in digital-only education environments can get in-person help during the school day.

Three new sites were added in Lorain County: at Oberlin’s Eastwood Elementary School, the former Vermilion Elementary School and Elyria’s Crestwood Elementary. Also added to the list of scheduled ClubSmart openings is the Eller Teen Club in Akron.

At ClubSmart Learning Centers, BGCNEO staff members will help kids with their virtual learning, which will follow each school district’s curriculum. Club staff proctors will help children complete their schoolwork and provide additional stress-relieving programs such as art, writing and athletics.

The first group of learning centers will open Tuesday in Cleveland, Vermilion and Oberlin.  Others will launch later in September.

“While opening more ClubSmart Learning Centers will obviously put a strain on our resources, we know it is the right thing to do for our kids,” BGCNEO President and CEO Jeff Scott said.

Former teacher Amy Skolnik, who has been serving as BGCNEO’s Erie County regional director, has been named to head the ClubSmart program and other learning center initiatives.

Visit www.bgcneo.org for information on ClubSmart locations, starting dates, hours and registration. Space is limited by building capacity thresholds and social distancing protocols. Once a ClubSmart Learning Center reaches capacity, registrants will be placed on a waiting list.

Here are the 15 places where ClubSmart Learning Centers will open:

Cleveland:

Lorain County

Akron

Sandusky

In addition to the new ClubSmart locations, BGCNEO announced it will reopen traditional afterschool Clubs at Westwood and McCormick elementary schools in Wellington as well as at Stepstone Academy in Cleveland. New afterschool Clubs will open at Knollwood Elementary and Brookside Intermediate schools in Sheffield Lake.