Laamistad Inc

TO SUPPORT LATIN STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES BY PROVIDING A COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT SYSTEM THROUGH TUTORING, MENTORING AND RESOURCES THAT PROMOTES ACADEMIC, PHYSICAL AND PERSONAL GROWTH.

OUR CORE PROGRAMS ARE LAAMISTAD AFTERSCHOOL, LAAMISTAD ANIMATE SUMMER ACADEMY, AND LAAMISTAD ADULT EDUCATION. IN 2022-2023, LAAMISTAD AFTERSCHOOL WAS HOSTED AT 11 DISTINCT LOCATIONS ACROSS ATLANTA, SERVING 264 LATINO STUDENTS FOR 787 DAYS OF PROGRAMMING. ACADEMICALLY, THE FOCUS REMAINED ON READING, MATHEMATICS, AND STEM ACTIVITIES. MATH SCORES SAW AVERAGE INCREASES OF AS MUCH AS 243% AT SOME SITES, WHILE AVERAGE READING SCORES IMPROVED BY AS MUCH AS 278%. STEM PROJECTS WERE ALSO CONDUCTED EACH MONTH ACROSS ALL SITES, TOTALING 72 PROJECTS AND 108 LEARNING HOURS. THE ATTENDANCE RATE FOR STUDENTS AT LAAMISTAD AFTERSCHOOL WAS 86%, WHILE VOLUNTEER NUMBERS WERE STRONG AS WELL. TWO HUNDRED FORTY-TWO (242) COMMUNITY MEMBERS SERVED AS REGULAR VOLUNTEERS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, NOT INCLUDING ONE-TIME VOLUNTEERS FROM GROUPS LIKE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES, UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENTS, AND CORPORATE VISITS. EACH SITE BOASTED AS MANY AS FIVE STAFF MEMBERS: AN AFTERSCHOOL TEACHER, PROGRAM ASSISTANT, PARENT LIAISON, READING SPECIALIST, AND SOCIAL WORK INTERNS. LAAMISTAD ANIMATE SUMMER ACADEMY IS A PROGRAM THAT FOSTERS ACADEMIC, PERSONAL, AND SOCIAL GROWTH AMONG ITS LATINO STUDENTS WHO COME FROM ALL AROUND THE ATLANTA AREA. THIS TAKES PLACE ALL WHILE COMBATING A SUMMER SLUMP IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS. THE ACADEMY FOCUSES SPECIFICALLY ON MATHEMATICS AND READING FLUENCY WITHOUT NEGLECTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, VARIOUS ARTS AND TEAM BUILDING EXERCISES. THE ACADEMY TAKES PLACE FOR FOUR WEEKS AT OUR TWO PARTNERING PRIVATE SCHOOL CAMPUSES. THE CAMP FIELDED 113 STUDENTS, WITH 41 DAYS OF PROGRAMMING ACROSS THE TWO LOCATIONS. LAAMISTAD STAFF GAVE EVERY STUDENT ASSESSMENTS FOR MATHEMATICS AND READING FLUENCY AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF THE ACADEMY. IN JUST FOUR WEEKS, THE AVERAGE IMPROVEMENT FOR MATH AMONG ALL STUDENTS WAS 18%; WHILE THE AVERAGE IMPROVEMENT FOR READING FLUENCY WAS 21%. ATTENDANCE AMONG ALL CAMPERS WAS 86%. THE STUDENT TO TEACHER RATIO, MEANWHILE, WAS 9.5:1. NUTRITION, SAFETY, AND FUN WERE ALSO EMPHASES AT THE CAMP. ADULT EDUCATION CONSISTED OF ENGLISH FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVING (AN ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE PROGRAM), FINANCIAL LITERACY CLASSES, DIGITAL LITERACY CLASSES, AND PARENT PARTNERSHIP WORKSHOPS FOR PARENTS OF LAAMISTAD AFTERSCHOOL STUDENTS. COURSES WERE HOSTED AT ONE OF THREE SITES, ONE OF WHICH IS THE LAAMISTAD COMMUNITY CENTER, WHICH OPENED IN APRIL 2022. AS FAR AS NUMBERS OF PARTICIPANTS WAS CONCERNED, 101 STUDENTS WERE SERVED THROUGH OUR ESL OFFERINGS, WHILE THE LAAMISTAD COMMUNITY CENTER ALSO SERVED 260 CLIENTS AT A MOTHER'S DAY POP-UP SHOP, 150 THROUGH A LAPTOP GIVEAWAY PROGRAM, 50 AT A FLU SHOT EVENT, 10 MOTHERS OF YOUNG CHILDREN AT A READING INITIATIVE, AND 5 CLIENTS AT A SAFE DRIVING COURSE. FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY (420) PARENTS WEREOFFERED ADULT EDUCATION THROUGH LAAMISTAD PARENT PARTNERSHIP WORKSHOPS. THE LAAMISTAD COMMUNITY CENTER IS STRATEGICALLY LOCATED IN THE HEART OF SANDY SPRINGS, A COMMUNITY WITH A RICH LATINO PRESENCE. THIS LOCATION BREAKS DOWN THE BARRIER OF TRANSPORTATION, AS THE CENTER IS ALSO LOCATED ON THE BUS LINE. LANGUAGE BARRIERS ARE ADDRESSED THROUGH OUR ESL OFFERINGS, WHILE ECONOMIC BARRIERS ARE OVERCOME THROUGH THE OFFERINGS IN DIGITAL AND FINANCIAL LITERACY.