CINCINNATI — While schools continue with blended and virtual learning, some local organizations have come together to help take that burden off of parents. 

What You Need To Know

  • Cincinnati recreation centers are offering school enrichment to kids during virtual school days

  • The program helps keep kids on task and complete all of their assignments

  • The program costs $150 a week per child, but the rec center offers scholarships for families that may need it

​​For kids in the Cincinnati Public School District, they’re still going to class remotely three days a week. That’s why the Cincinnati Recreation Commission stepped in to help parents ensure their child is getting their school work done.

“We have a safe place where caring adults are loving on these kids, and they have somewhere to be and they don’t have to be alone," said Daniel Betts, the director of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission. 

“It gives us a new dynamic to add to recreation and to show what we can showcase besides just being rec. We can support the kids in their education and still offer that social, emotional well-being," said Tiffany Thomas, the Community Center Director at the Clifton Rec Center.

The brains behind the operation at the Clifton Rec Center is Thomas. She calls her binder her bible because it keeps all of the schedules for each of the 48 children they help in one place.

“When they’re staying here, what are they supposed to be doing?" Thomas said. "If they’re logged on for Google meets or if they have a packet of work or if they’re supposed to be on schoology. So it’s just making sure that we all know that and we can communicate that with our leaders.”

And that’s not easy when many kids are in different schools with different meeting times and different assignments. But Thomas makes sure each child goes home at night with everything completed.

“I don’t want to have to continually tell a parent like hey they missed this Google meeting or they didn’t get this assignment done," Thomas said. "So, it’s really important to know their schedule.”

While the program costs $150 a week per child, employees want to be clear that there are scholarship options and they won’t turn any child away.

“You’re ability to pay or not pay will not prevent us from servicing you and getting you in this program," Betts said.

For more information on which locations offer the program and scholarships, visit cincyrec.org.