With enrollment and volunteers doubled over the first six weeks, Jaffrey’s newest after-school program has certainly taken off.
Launch Point, a program started by Monadnock Bible Conference Director Roy Baldwin, currently serves 44 total students and hosts between two to five volunteers a day, numbers that make Baldwin glad he began offering the program at the beginning of October.
“My expectations have been exceeded, especially given how quickly everything came together,” Baldwin said in an interview last week. “We’re six weeks into a program that was formed 10 weeks ago.”
So far, Baldwin says the program has come together nicely, with students enjoying the facility’s pool, game room, and arts and crafts and nature classes.
“This is how we do camp,” said Baldwin, who hosts a number of camp activities at MBC. “We provide a safe space for children.”
Baldwin said the after-school program has grown steadily, mostly via word of mouth. On the first day of camp on Oct. 3, the program had 19 total students and was averaging one to two volunteers a day.
“The kids definitely love the pool time,” said Baldwin. “I feel like we are able to offer some activities that there aren’t as much of in the community.”
A partnership with Franklin Pierce University should bring more volunteers to the program come January, with Baldwin hoping more volunteers join on after he makes a presentation to the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary.
“The volunteers haven’t trickled in as fast,” said Baldwin, who said staff members help run the program in addition to volunteers. Presently, high school students and staffers account for much of the volunteers.
While Launch Point has been able to adapt a number of MBC’s camp staples into the program, Baldwin admits that he and his staff are still working on the homework assistance portion of the program. Mainly, Baldwin said he would like to align the teaching and help offered at Launch Point to assist students in achieving the educational goals set out by the Jaffrey-Rindge School District.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.