Torrington Police Activities League Inc

TO DETER VIOLENCE & ENCOURAGE OVER 1000 KIDS TO STAY IN SCHOOL THROUGH POSITIVE AFTER SCHOOL AND RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, EDUCATORS, AND COMMUNITY BUSINESS LEADERS.

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMSOUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS GREW TO CONSISTENT DAILY OFFERINGS IN FOUR SCHOOLS FOUR DAYS A WEEK, PROVIDING PARENTS AND TEACHERS WITH A VALUABLE RESOURCE. WE FOUND MARKED DIFFERENCES IN KIDS AS A RESULT OF OPERATING THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, PAL SCHOLARS, IN THESE SCHOOLS. PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR TESTIMONIALS AND FOR SUCCESS STORIES AT WWW.TORRINGTONPAL.ORG. DUE TO THE LARGE VISIBILITY OF OUR GROWING AFTER SCHOOL PRESENCE, OUR OTHER PROGRAMS ALSO GREW AND BEGAN TO WORK IN TANDEM FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR MEMBERS. IN FACT WE FOUND THAT BY GROWING OUR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM WE KNOW WERE ABLE TO TOUCH KIDS MORE CONSISTENTLY AND FREQUENTLY WITH BETTER RESULTS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF A STUDENT WAS ENROLLED IN AFTER SCHOOL, WE ENCOURAGED THEM TO ALSO ENROLL IN OUR REC PROGRAMS. WITH PRACTICES, GAMES AND AFTERSCHOOL, WE BEGAN MENTORING KIDS WITH THE VOLUNTEER HELP OF POLICE AND COMMUNITY LEADERS 3-5 TIMES A WEEK. WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH TEACHERS TO FOLLOW UP ON KIDS GOING THROUGH TOUGH BEHAVIOR OR FAMILY ISSUES TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO WELL IN THE CLASSROOM THROUGH THEIR PARTICIPATION WITH PAL. THEY SIMPLY DIDN'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON LEARNING OR THE FUN TO BE HAD IN AFTER SCHOOL WHICH HELPED EDUCATORS AND PARENTS GIVE THESE KIDS GOALS TO SHOOT FOR AT HOME OR IN THE CLASSROOM.

SUMMER CAMPWE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED OUR PROGRAM OFFERINGS IN THE SUMMER BY PARTNERING TO OFFER A NEW END OF SUMMER CAMP EXPERIENCE FOR KIDS DESIGNATED AT RISK OR ON THE BRINK TO HELP PREPARE THEM FOR SCHOOL AND TO START THE SCHOOL YEAR OFF WELL. THIS DYNAMIC SUMMER PROGRAMMING KEPT THE KIDS ENGAGED AND FOCUSED FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR AHEAD. MANY WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN TRANSITIONING THE LEARNING FROM THE SUMMER TO THE SCHOOL YEAR. WE ALSO SAW INCREASED ENROLLMENTS IN OUR PROGRAMS AS A RESULT OF THEIR CONNECTIONS TO PAL FROM THE SUMMER. OUR COLLEGE BOUND/EDUCATION FIRST PROGRAMMING--WHICH BRINGS LOW INCOME AND DIVERSE ETHNIC, "FIRST GENERATION" KIDS TO AREA COLLEGES FOR TOURS AND PROGRAMMING, ALSO SAW AN EXPANSION OF SERVICES AND TRIPS. WE ACTIVELY BEGAN PARTNERING OUR SERVICES TO OTHER TOWN HIGHSCHOOLS IN OUR REGION TO OFFER THESE TRIPS WITH GREAT SUCCESS.