Elementary Program 

Sydney is in the TFO program because she shows so much interest in technology, coding, and electronics. When it was introduced at McGarrah, we knew it would be a good fit for her. I have seen a lot of changes in her knowledge about troubleshooting technology and talking about the steps they take to build things. Her interest has heightened with regards to technology. She shares all the time about the projects they do, from the car races to the drones. I'm looking forward to her returning year after year.

TFO members benefit from accelerated, hands-on learning in a supportive small-group environment. This provides students with more individualized attention that they might not be getting during the regular school day.  Rather than reteaching lessons from the school day, TFO supplements learning by offering projects that align with the members’ current reading, math, and science skill levels.

Early childhood education access is imperative to a student’s long-term success, and the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on today’s elementary schoolers. Instead of interacting with peers and developing essential social skills, Pre-K learners were confined to their homes and computer screens. Basic reading and writing lessons were taught online, making it very difficult for developing minds to retain vital information. As a result, many young students have fallen behind in core subjects. 

Site visit with Leslie Brook from Afterschool Alliance 

Our elementary school program works to close these knowledge gaps and get students up to speed by improving their reading and listening skills. We emphasize following directions through activities such as build-your-own robot kits, which introduce students to entry-level STEAM/e concepts in fun and exciting ways. We focus on improving students’ communication skills as they learn respect for themselves, their teammates, and the coaching staff. We encourage our members to apply the lessons learned in our program in both their classroom environment and at home.