Santa Maria Community Services Receives two Summer Learning and Afterschool Opportunities Grants from the Ohio Department of Education

Santa Maria Community Services, Inc. is pleased to announce it has received two Summer Learning and Afterschool Opportunities Grants from the Ohio Department of Education in the amount of $141,105.81 for Afterschool Expand, and $65,786.32 for Summer Expand for Santa Maria’s Youth Development Program.

The Ohio Department of Education awarded $89 million in Summer Learning and Afterschool Opportunities Grants to 161 community-based partners. The Department received more than 700 applications from across the state. Awardees will use these funds to create or expand out-of-school time services that address the academic needs and overall well-being of students most in need of services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Santa Maria Community Services’ Youth Development Program provides Lower Price Hill youth ages 10-16 with the opportunity to partake in social-emotional and life skills groups in order to develop peaceful conflict resolution, peer resistance, self-management, and goal-directed behavior skills. The program also focuses on youth mentoring and leadership through academic assistance and tutoring, personal responsibility, and optimistic thinking skills. Participants engage in community-service projects, and each child’s family is linked to resources that promote family stability while addressing concerns that threaten or hinder the family’s well-being. The Youth Development Program welcomes all Price Hill youth to learn how to be more successful in school and in life.

Santa Maria Youth Development Program Director, Danny Burridge, said, “We are very grateful and excited to have been awarded these afterschool and summer expansion grants from the Ohio Department of Education. These additional funds will enable us to enhance our programming in strategic ways, including by hiring more staff, being open longer hours, and more holistically incorporating life skills trainings sessions into our afterschool and summer activities. We’re looking forward to beginning implementation right away.”