Communities strive hard and work together to ensure their youth have a firm foundation upon which they can build and ultimately live a happy and productive life as a contributing member of society. The City of Fontana shares this goal and offers several tools to ensure a solid foundation for its youth, including the Fontana After School Program - “Developing Young Minds After School”.

Through the After School Education and Safety (ASES) Grant provided by the California Department of Education, the City of Fontana Community Services Department partnered with several local agencies to create an all-inclusive after school program that highlights educational enrichment, physical fitness, cultural development, and health and wellness. Since combining their resources, the Fontana Boys and Girls Club, the Fontana Unified School District (FUSD), Etiwanda School District (ESD) and Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD) have created such a strong and successful Fontana After School Program that the program is nearing its maximum enrollment at all sites.

How does FREE sound? The majority of the after school program sites are funded under Proposition 49 Funding, so the cost to your family is zero. A few of the sites (three in CJUSD and two in ESD) are fee based, but at only $72.00 per month or approximately 79 cents per hour, your child’s participation in the program is still affordable. When you add in the value that the program provides a safe environment for your child to come to after school where they can receive the loving support they need to continue down the path of developing a career and helping others through volunteerism, the program is priceless.

The Fontana After School Program is offered at over 35 school sites, of which 28 are in the Fontana Unified School District, two in the Etiwanda School District and six in Colton Joint Unified School District. Children in grades Kindergarten through middle school can take part in this program. Over the past four years, over 4,000 children have participated. Vanessa Cortez, Community Services Coordinator II who helps over see the program, said, “this is a fun and educational alternative to being at home alone.” She also stated that the focus of the program is to provide an educational support system that helps increase the knowledge of the children, one child at a time.

Each child that participates in the program is supervised by well trained staff and exposed to a wide variety of experiences that support their educational experience and help open their eyes to new things. The daily schedule looks something like this:

• Transition time from school to unwind and be a kid
• Healthy snack to keep their minds focused
• Homework time with supportive staff to assist them
• Educational component to support lifelong learning
• Outside activity to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle

Fontana After School Program survey statistics show high marks of approval from students, parents and principals. Recent surveys have shown that principals are most satisfied with the comprehensive staff supervision, communication, and initiative. Surveys also show that parents are very pleased with their student’s growth and development over the school year along with the student’s ability to participate in structured and engaging activities

Most importantly the students have shown a remarkable interest in returning to the Fontana After School Program year after year because of the many life enriching activities at their fingertips, which continue to provide education in a non-traditional way. As Vanessa Cortez recalls, a young child around the age of seven approached her before school ended this past year and said, “I want to come back soon. I really like it here.”

To find out more information about the Fontana After School Program at any of the local elementary schools, please call (909) 350-6585, and for middle school programs, please call (909) 428-8393.          

Colton Unified Elementary School Sites Crestmore D'Arcy Jurupa Vista Sycamore Hills Smith Zimmerman	Fontana Unified Elementary School Sites Beech Binks Canyon Crest Chaparral Citrus Cypress Date Dorothy Grant Juniper Locust Mango Maple North Tamarind Oak Park Oleander Primrose Poplar Randall Pepper Redwood Shadow Hills Ted Porter West Randall
Etiwanda Elementary School Sites Solorio West Heritage
Fontana Unified Middle School Sites Alder Fontana Wayne Ruble Sequoia Truman

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