The Champs Program directly supports ways to activate student learning through an engaging, interactive, thematic based academic enrichment model. This innovative model targets the academic needs of students with a nationally recognized after school curriculum from Foundations, Inc. The FOUNDATIONS curriculum is the core of the Champs program and through additional training, coaching, and modeling, key after school staff are able to support children’s learning by blending math and reading content into an experiential, hands on, after school friendly learning approach.

The Champs administrative team, made up of education specialists, use an in-depth approach to training the existing after school staff in “best teaching practices”. All after-school staff members who are trained to deliver the curriculum receive a stipend for this additional responsibility. The Champs model also provides an onsite educator or Head Teacher to each participating program and through their instructional expertise the staff is successful in implementing the academic components of the curriculum. The Champs Program Manager and Program Specialists provide coordination, specialized training and technical assistance to the programs on an ongoing basis.

The Champs program is rigorously evaluated annually and has received national recognition from educators as a model of effective and cost-efficient after school learning. Champs not only increases the achievement levels of students who participate in the program but has also shown to improve the overall professionalism of after school staff who are trained in the model. The Champs academic partnership is proud of its award winning collaboration with the Palm Beach County School District as it is considered to be a promising practice in the field of after school programming. Champs is funded by the Palm Beach County Children’s Services Council, the Picower Foundation, and Primetime of Palm Beach County. The program is managed by Kids in New Directions, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of after-school programs through activities that provide academic enrichment and support.

• Provides academic enrichment to 4,000 students for one hour per day, 4 days per week for 32 weeks.
  
• Provides Curriculum Manual/Books – published by Foundations, Inc. to all 38 sites.



• Provides training for 200 Instructors, 39 Head Teachers, 39 Program Directors and 80 Substitute Instructors. This staff development is twice a year conducted by Champs Team in our model, our policies, best teaching practices, team planning and curriculum instructional strategies.



• Provides a Champs Program Specialist in each area of the county to provide technical assistance, onsite training, observing, monitoring, program evaluation and any site specific troubleshooting.



• Provides a Program Manager to coordinate the implementation of the Champs program in 39 site/schools and to oversee the daily operation of the program.



• Provides a Certified Head Teacher onsite daily for coaching, modeling of the instructors and planning of the curriculum.



• Provides quality assurance measures in order to maintain the integrity of the Champs model through an evaluation of instructors and review of Head Teacher portfolios, Quarterly surveys of implementation and curriculum for overall program improvement.



• Scaling and curriculum revisions to ensure successful implementation of the curriculum that includes an overlay calendar, scaling suggestions, culminating projects, multi-media resources and weekly staff meeting suggestions.



• An independent quantitative evaluation focused on student FCAT performance



• Stipends – paid directly to program staff (director, instructor and substitute instructors) for training and implementation of the curriculum.



• Materials – internet purchasing program customized for the Champs program and Foundations curriculum



• Automated program management – provided by Epsilon Technologies, inc. to track program surveys, reports, data collection, communications and planning.



• Provides scholarships for 255 students to be enrolled in the School Age Child Care Program.

Get out your passports, pack your suitcases and be ready to embark on grand explorations across the continents with the Champs component this year. The “Travels” themed curriculum will engage children in exhilarating trans-continental learning adventures. These global explorations include climbing Mount Everest, to racing a dogsled team in the Iditarod, and even camping across the outback in Australia. The Champs program will provide children with a wealth of active experiences and cooperative learning projects that will challenge them to use their critical thinking skills while mapping out imaginary travel itineraries that focus on areas of special interest in the both USA and across the world.

• To increase after school staff skills in facilitating academic enrichment curriculum, and

• To increase the academic achievement of students who participate in the Champs program