Programs
Programs that help every child grow
“We provide our children with a safe haven after school and the opportunity to achieve stability, self-sufficiency, self-esteem and hope for the future.”
Margaret Grundman, Adventures in Learning founder
Focus programs
Small-group and one-on-one help where children need it most.
Focus program
Early Childhood Reading
Three reading specialists run this program, modeled on professional tutoring programs proven to improve reading outcomes. They use a balanced approach that draws on Reading Recovery and the Wilson program.
Each day our kindergarten, first and second graders get individual reading instruction. The results have been profound: every year, these early readers improve their reading levels by six months to two years.
Focus program
English as a New Language
Many of our students are American citizens, born in the US, who first begin speaking English when they start school. Our English as a New Language (ENL) program meets the needs of these English Language Learners.
About 61% of our students speak Spanish at home, so our teaching staff includes an ENL teacher who gives individual instruction to our newest language learners to speed up their progress.
Focus program
Homework Buddies
Daily homework help is the heart of our program. It has served so many children in our community who might otherwise have been left behind, and who have gone on to lead successful, fulfilling lives because someone cared enough to help every day.
Teachers supervise students in a quiet, structured, academically stimulating space, answer their questions and track homework progress. Our goal is for children to greet you at 5:00 saying, “Guess what, I finished my homework!”
Focus program
Math
Building math skills in the early grades is essential to later success in school. Our math specialist gives every student more chances to succeed.
Finding the students who need extra help and giving them high-quality support works. Each day, the specialist works one-on-one or in groups of three or fewer with the students who need it most.
Focus program
Film
The Film Workshop teaches children to bring stories to life. Students learn the basics of organizing and writing stories, lighting, camera work and editing, giving them a creative way to express their thoughts through storytelling.
Focus program
Nutrition
Children get to try, taste and choose healthier foods at meals and snack times. On Fridays, they help prepare and cook healthy dishes with our staff and visiting nutrition and restaurant professionals.
They love trying new food with their friends, and they proudly take new recipes home to share with their families.
Core programs
Hands-on learning that builds curiosity every week.
Core program
Science
Children learn about the world through science, with hands-on experiments using magnets, electricity and dyes.
Core program
STEM
STEM brings together science, technology, engineering and math to solve problems in creative ways. Using the engineering design process, students identify a problem, develop and test possible solutions, and work their way to an answer.
Combining math, science and engineering with digital literacy helps students see a problem from many angles and untangle complex questions.
Recreation
Time to move, create and have fun together.
Recreation
Arts & Crafts
A supportive place for students to explore their talents and gain confidence expressing themselves through art. Projects include painting, drawing, portrait techniques, clay and mixed media, plus a tie-dye T-shirt project by popular request.
Recreation
Basketball
Basketball meets every Tuesday from 4:30 to 6 PM. Highlights include building skills in ball-handling, shooting, passing and rebounding, along with team play.
Recreation
Dance
Our professional dance teacher studied under Frank Hatchett and Nat Horne in NYC, and at the Alvin Ailey School and Steps. She has danced with the African Dance Company, Liberation Ensemble and Dance EPIC, and teaches our students African dance, hip hop and jazz.
Community programs
Partnerships that open new doors for our students.
Community program
Robotics & Coding
Using Lego Robotics, students get an introduction to text-based coding in a fun version of BASIC (Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code), a programming language designed for ease of use.
Like every programmer, our budding coders start with “Hello, World.” They then learn to use variables and functions to automate tasks, and loops and conditionals to create shapes and movement. The challenge: move their robots using the keyboard and mouse.
This program is generously supported by the Manhasset Community Fund through its Greentree Good Neighbor Grant.
Community program
Summer Camp
Students 8 and older spend a month at professionally run sleepaway camps for a safe, fun-filled summer. Camp gives children room for physical activity, creative expression and real community life, with positive role models who have time to listen, talk and reflect. They learn to work together, make choices, take responsibility and build independence and confidence, all important steps toward a healthy, productive life.
Each summer we send 60 children to camp, thanks to the generosity of the Jacob Marley Foundation, the Josephine Foundation, a charitable trust and private donors.
Want to help a program grow?
Volunteers and donors make every one of these programs possible.