kidsLINK—an afterschool program for students in the Bozeman and Belgrade public school districts—continues to be a booming initiative that helps kids thrive socially and academically.
Run by the Greater Gallatin United Way, kidsLINK offers homework help, healthy snacks, and outdoor activities for students in a high-quality environment. More than 1,500 kids from 11 area schools participate in the program, which provides enriching opportunities for STEAM, literacy, math and coding projects.
“Afterschool programs not only support children and their success but also working families. For many families, kidsLINK means that parents and caregivers can remain in the workforce, knowing their kids have a safe place to go,” said Amy Revious, the Youth Success Program Manager for kidsLINK. “We often hear from parents that, without kidsLINK, they would have no place for their children to go after school.”
This year, kidsLINK will go one step further to help working families by hosting all-day programs on school holidays, and all-day camps during winter and spring breaks. Before-school care is also available at select locations.
Over the summer, the Greater Gallatin United Way launched the kidsLINK Summer Camp, which welcomed more than 255 kids in four summer camp programs for 350 hours of education. The objective was to help students stabilize the summer slide, and to provide a jumpstart for preschoolers in reading and social-emotional skills.
“This year, we are also adopting an inquiry-based learning model for all of our programs. Each month, we will explore kid-friendly topics such as creating movies, playing with circuits, music and movement, building and construction, nature and outdoors, and cooking,” Revious said. “The children will select the approach they want to take within the theme and help us shape how we approach each one.”
Not only does this approach empower students, but it empowers families to maximize their work-life balance. Parents have shared overwhelmingly positive thoughts with the kidsLINK staff, such as “Your program has helped my daughter learn right from wrong and to properly communicate. She has had some behavioral issues in the past but, since joining kidsLINK, I have seen such a difference in her.”
For the kidsLINK team, the program is about so much more than childcare.
“Our programs offer unique experiences for kids to develop lifelong skills and have fun while learning. We teach resiliency and teamwork, foster growth and self-esteem, and support healthy living,” Revious said. “Our community is coming together to ensure that everyone everywhere has the opportunities to thrive.”
Parents interested in registering their children for kidsLINK can visit kidslink.org.
Scholarships are also available.
