OST and the Pandemic: The Effects on After-School Programing

OST and the Pandemic: The Effects on After-School Programing

In the past fourteen months, the entire world has struggled under the weight of the pandemic. Now, as more and more people are getting vaccinated, those weights have begun to lift. People are getting out, resuming life. But the truth is, the repercussions of the pandemic will be with us for quite a time to come—especially for our children.

Rewind to the end of 2019. Parents were going to work while their kids went to school. After school, kids would go to soccer practice, daycare, dance class.

And then the pandemic hit. Home became the office, school, the dance studio. Almost overnight, parents had to adjust to juggling client meetings with their children’s short attention spans, wrangling zoom, acting as both teacher and parent. Those who were considered essential workers found themselves in an even more difficult position, working hours that did not accommodate for their children being at home.

What is OST?

Out of school time, or OST, is the time a child spends learning outside of the classroom. It can refer to many things: after school programs, sports, camps, daycare, extended learning.

There has been a lot of research regarding OST and its benefits for children. OST, for example, offers parents a means of supervising and watching their children between the end of the school day and the end of the work day. Afterschool programming and daycare allows parents to work more hours, therefore earning more money than would otherwise be made if the parents had to be home to watch their children.  These programs can also provide meals, emotional support, and safety, especially in lower-income families where a parent can’t take off work to watch their kids after school—or afford to pay someone else to do so.

From a curriculum standpoint, OST gives children a sense of structure and stimulates them in ways that might not necessarily be available during school hours. For example, many after school programs revolve around sports or the arts. These programs give children a way to develop their fine motor skills—something they don’t always learn sitting at a desk listening to the teacher. Often, these teams or classes occur on a weekly basis, giving kids a better sense of a schedule—and teaching them commitment on the way.

OST programs provide a foundation that boosts productivity, social skills, motor skills, and problem solving. It also gives children academic support and essential services for families. Daycare is a safe place for children to go after school. They get to interact with other children, both of their own age as well as those younger and older—in social situations, from random play to structured activities. This is not necessarily something they get in a classroom, grouped in a quiet environment with kids who are only their own age. Because they are getting these varied and essential experiences, OST programs form a support to enhance a child’s experience inside of the classroom.

According to the CDC, kids need to be safe, healthy, supported, challenged and engaged. One cannot rely on schools alone to provide children with these elements. Therefore, OST is essential to a child’s development, working in tandem with standard education to get our kiddos what they need. When we focus on a student’s comprehensive development through OST, their academic success and their well-being increase.

How Has the Pandemic Affected OST?

According to TX Post, 80% of a child’s learning time is spent out of the classroom. In 2019, kids’ OST happened before school, after school, and over the summer. In 2020, thanks to the pandemic, all learning time became OST. This meant a huge adaptation for everyone, from teachers, parents, employers, and children. Learning from Zoom is a challenge for everyone. Parents have to balance supervision with their own work. Teachers—many of whom are required to teach in-person children at the same time as those learning from home—battle children’s waning attention. Kids lose essential structure in their daily lives, the lines of learning and home blurring together.

Focus has been on the academic loss during the pandemic. It’s believed that more than 3 months of learning has been lost from the average child’s year. But that loss is not only academic loss, because the classroom is not the only place that children learn. Not being in daycare, soccer, or summer camps means kids have also lost essential time building social and emotional skills. Teamwork, leadership, collaboration—all these essential elements of a child’s education require socialization with other people. And there’s the physical aspect of it—without sports, dance, martial arts, kids are losing important opportunities to stay healthy through exercise.

As an after-school dance program, Leap of Joy falls into this category of OST learning. As a program that gears specifically to lower-income schools, we see first-hand how something as simple as a dance class can impact a child’s life. The pandemic forced us to completely adjust how we interact with our students. We’ve had to move entirely online, teaching Saturday classes and summer camps over Zoom. We’ve seen attendance drop, and attentions waver. And that’s for something that’s voluntary, fun, and low cost.

What Now?

The repercussions of the pandemic are going to follow us for a while. Losing so much time both in the classroom and outside it cannot be rectified immediately. Will we ever make up for the lost time? It’s difficult to say. Certainly, parents can’t account for missing work and potential lost wages. And for the kids? Along with the lost school time, these after-school and summer programs are essential to a child’s physical and mental development, and play important parts in helping to prepare them for the future. We still don’t know what the long-lasting effects will be. It’s likely that adjusting back to a “normal” school schedule will be a challenge in itself—adding to the setbacks.

In our next installment, we’ll talk about the situation here in Texas, and the important roles OST programs have played in keeping Texas students safe and healthy throughout the pandemic. While it has made many things difficult for us, there have been some really wonderful things to come out of the struggles. We’re at a crucial point in our education system, and hopefully by educating ourselves we can band together to help our children’s futures.

Today is the Day- Amplify Austin!

Today is the Day- Amplify Austin!

It’s hard to wrap my mind around the fact that it’s March once more. Almost a whole year in quarantine–and what a year it’s been! Here in Austin we’ve not only been dealing with the pandemic, but also extreme weather, some of the coldest we’ve seen in decades! A couple weeks ago, the majority of Austin went without power and water. I myself was out of power for a full six days, freezing in my apartment, no way of getting heat or driving somewhere warm because the roads were icy. I was miserable. But I was also very lucky: I had shelter, and tons of blankets. I cannot even begin to imagine what it was like for some of the less fortunate here in Austin and other parts of Texas.

This past year has been a struggle for all of us, including Leap of Joy. So much of what we do involves going to schools and teaching after classes. But with school going virtual, we’ve had to find alternative methods to reaching out to our kiddos. It’s been difficult for us, though we’re hoping that as 2021 progresses we will start making some forward steps…dance or otherwise!

Today marks the beginning of Amplify Austin. 24 hours of giving, from today, Thursday, March 4th at 6 p.m. to Friday, March 5th at 6 p.m. More than ever, it is time for us as a community to step together to help those in need. This year, we’re asking once again for a contribution to our cause. Everything we raise during this event goes to helping us provide dance classes to those less fortunate in our city! No donation is too small.

There are many ways to contribute!

  1. Donate directly to Leap of Joy by clicking here. You can pick from a set amount or choose your own.
  2. You can go directly to the Amplify Austin and donate to their Amplify Fund, which helps out all participating nonprofits.
  3. Can’t donate? Consider helping us spread the word! Share this on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, using the hashtag #ILiveHereIGiveHere
  4. Mention it to someone directly!

Help us band together after the horrible year we’ve had and give back to those less fortunate. Help us AmplifyCommunity. Help us AmplifyJoy. Help us AmplifyAustin!

 

 

Saturday Classes are BACK!

Saturday Classes are BACK!

Hi Everyone! I hope everyone is staying safe. Things are sadly getting worse out there!

In case you missed our announcement in our last newsletter, we’re rebooting our Saturday classes! Starting this week, Saturday, July 11th, we are launching a digital, weekly live class for free on Zoom! Classes will run from 10:30-11:30 am.

The class is open to all ages of children, and all levels accepted! We do ask that parents or guardians supervise smaller children–and they’re welcome to join in the class!

There is absolutely no financial obligation to take this class! As always, Leap of Joy strives to make the arts and dance available to all children, regardless of their situation.

All you need to do to join the class is register; you can fill out the brief registration form here or click on the “Classes” tab on our website.

While the class is totally free, we do accept donations if you’re able to contribute! We are a non-profit and all of our donations to go funding events like these. Please consider contributing if you are able to do so! No donation is too small.

Click here to donate!

We look forward to seeing everyone in class!

Episode #3 of Let’s Put on a Show Up Now!

Episode #3 of Let’s Put on a Show Up Now!

Hi everyone! It’s June, and I can’t believe how fast this year has gone by! We’re still on quarantine, but we at Leap of Joy have been hard at work to bring another episode of Let’s Put on a Show together for everyone! This episode’s theme is “School’s Out for Summer,” and in it we have all sorts of fun things happening! Join us as we learn the word of the day from our very own Madame Librarian! Watch the weather report, join the Pirate Who Does Things in a celebratory backpack unpacking, and learn how to make lemonade! We also have a great dance segment from Ms. Jade, and may or may not hear a silly story about a giraffe from Jax (hey, that’s me!) This is Episode #3, and we’d love for you to check it out! Click on the link below to watch the full episode!

P.S. Don’t forget to like our video & follow Leap of Joy so you can get an update when we post new content!

Leap of Joy on YouTube

Leap of Joy on YouTube

Leap of Joy is now on YouTube.  Check out Penelope as she crafts with friends.

 

Be sure to check out the latest science experiments with Ezzie.  Or maybe dance along with Nina. Go to Youtube and subscribe to the Leap of Joy channel so you’ll be notified when new videos drop.

 

Amplify Austin Day is Almost Here!

Amplify Austin Day is Almost Here!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of 2020’s Amplify Austin Day! Leap of Joy is once more involved in this program and we’re thrilled to be a part of it! It’s such a wonderful event that helps bring attention to giving back to the community–something we at Leap of Joy work toward every day of our lives!

We aim here at LOJ to empower children through the mediums of dance, movement, theatre, and the arts. Every week, our talented gang of trailblazers visit schools in this community to teach children, often children who would otherwise never have an opportunity to do so. Our program remains in tact largely through donations, especially through events like I Live Here I Give Here, which touches so many more people than our little organization ever could on its own!

Why donate during Amplify Austin Day?

Taking five minutes to donate during Amplify Austin Day will give you a chance to be part of a huge movement of giving throughout Central Texas! Not only will you be directly helping local charities stay afloat, but you will also be contributing to a little piece of Texas history!

Don’t forget–Tito’s is donating an extra $5 toward every donation that uses the hashtag “#LoveTitos” during checkout. This is a great way to increase your donation with little effort!

We’re excited to participate in Amplify Austin Day 2020 alongside I Live Here I Give Here and other nonprofits across Central Texas. Generosity fuels our community and enables us to work toward producing a great Care to Dance recital in May. By making a gift of any size, you can help us supply costumes and offer scholarships for both dance classes and summer camps to less-fortunate children.

Early giving is open now, so you can get a jump start on giving and make a gift of any size at AmplifyATX.org. Every gift counts, and, together, you all can help keep Central Texas the vibrant place we love to live, work, and dance.

Check out our profile here.

Other Ways to Participate

Want to help but can’t donate? There are other ways to give back! Share this or any of our posts on your social media! Tag us, @LeapofJoy, and link to our profile at https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/leap-of-joy! Did you receive our newsletter? You can forward it on to others…every little bit of exposure helps our cause, and we love you for it!

Just For Us – Female Empowerment through Dance and Movement

Just For Us – Female Empowerment through Dance and Movement

Leap of Joy is excited to offer a new workshop series, Just For Us that will be focusing on female empowerment through dance and movement! We have invited special guest teachers from around Austin to bring their expertise and individual movement styles to share. You will have the opportunity to dance with specific intentions and focus on what being a female means for you and how we can all become more empowered to support others. Each workshop will conclude with a small discussion and group sharing time.

Our first workshop is scheduled for Saturday, March 7th from 1:00 – 3:00 pm at the Headwaters Studio on 804 Rio Grande Ave in downtown Austin.

The cost is $20 per workshop. Pre-register now or just drop-in that day!

Register Here!

All-City Dance Class with Leap of Joy

All-City Dance Class with Leap of Joy

Have you heard? Leap of Joy now has Saturday classes, open to all! Come join us as we share our love of dance with students from around the city! Open to dancers of any level ages 6-13 yrs, this class is a mix of styles including Jazz, Hip Hop, and Modern. It’s a perfect way to introduce your child to the joys of dancing–and helps out a local non-profit!

There will be performance opportunities for the dancers, starting with Leap of Joy’s annual recital, Care to Dance, which happens on Sunday, May 3rd. See our website for more information.

Class runs from 10-11:30 a.m. every Saturday. We’d love for you to join us! Register Here!

Location: Headwaters Studio, 804 Rio Grande Street, downtown Austin.

This Saturday: Baby Ballerinas with Leap of Joy!

This Saturday: Baby Ballerinas with Leap of Joy!

We’re pleased to announce an addition to our new Saturday Classes! Come join us from 9:00-9:50 a.m. at the Headwaters Studio at 804 Rio Grande St for our new class, Baby Ballerinas! For kiddos ages 2-5, this class features both ballet and tap technique along with creative movement and more! A perfect way to introduce your little munchkin to the fantastic world of dance, taught by our fabulous Ms. Mollie!

On top of that, there will be a special performance on the last day of class, for the kiddos to show off all their new dance moves! We’d love for you to join us!

  • Cost: $15 per class
  • Location: Headwaters Studio, 804 Rio Grande Street, Downtown Austin
  • Time: Saturdays, 9-9:50 a.m.

Sign Up Here…and we’ll see you on Saturday!

5 Ways to Give Back in 2020

5 Ways to Give Back in 2020

It’s the beginning of a new year and the start of a new decade. 2020! Where has the time gone? I feel like we just celebrated 2010.

So many of us try to make a fresh start as the old year finishes and the new one begins. A new decade is an even cleaner start to better habits.

But there’s more to a fresh start than a new diet, a new exercise routine, a new job. There are better means of improvement; ways to improve your character or mood, ways to better the world…and one of the easiest ways to do that is to give back to the community.

Looking back, 2019 wasn’t exactly stellar for me. While some awesome things did happen, the less-than-positive mental state I was in overshadowed the positives. Boy, was I glad to see the end of it! By December I was determined not to have a repeat in 2020. I made up my mind: it was time to change my outlook. It was time to become a more positive person. Maybe then, finally, things that have been put off for years could finally be ignited.

For me, and hopefully for many others, this means not only getting my butt in gear—exercising more, actually starting that novel—but also finding a way to connect to others, to help improve my positive outlook so that I’m more inclined to reach my goals. And as January comes to a close and many people start flaking away from their New Years resolutions, we should all start thinking about ways to keep the new-year-new-decade momentum moving forward.

I’ve decided to give back in 2020.

While one should never give purely for self-improvement, there are a lot of health benefits to giving. And what’s more, it’s fun. From volunteering with your family and getting your teenagers away from their devices to helping out at an animal shelter with all the pups and kittens, there are as many ways to give back as there are hobbies. All you need to do is a little bit of research. Two years ago, I lucked out: I came across Leap of Joy, a wonderful project that happened to combine both my passion for dance and working with kids. It’s been very rewarding!

This year, I’m going to do more, and I’m starting with the community. Here are five ways you, like me, can help the positive vibes in 2020.

          1. Spring Cleaning
          2. Volunteering your Time
          3. Pick up Trash
          4. Participate in a Fundraiser
          5. Enroll your kid in a class

Spring Cleaning

Embarrassing truth: My closet hasn’t been cleaned out since I moved into my apartment in 2014. In fact, there’s still a box on the floor that I haven’t unpacked. It’s awful. I’ve made several attempts throughout the years to start organizing, but the truth is, it’s so daunting that I can’t seem to get started.

Sound familiar?

This year, I’m determined to get through it. By attacking it small chunks at a time, my goal is to get rid of everything I don’t need by the time September rolls around.

I made small steps last year: whenever I bought a new article of clothing, I had to put one existing article of clothing into the Goodwill pile. Now my donation pile is huge! I’ve got a stack of clothes ready to donate to someone in need…and my closet is starting to look less cluttered, at least the hanging portion of clothes. I can’t say the same for the floor, but hey, it’s a step forward.

This is a great way to start giving back. There are so many people out there that can’t afford basics like warm clothing in the winter (one of the reasons Leap of Joy hosts their Caps & Mittens campaign every year). Instead of letting all those old clothes that don’t fit you pile up in your closet, put them all in a bag and take them to the Goodwill, or the Salvation Army, or even a local charity of your choice.

Here’s a link to places in Austin where you can give your in-kind donations. If you do donate in-kind, make sure whatever charity you choose gives you a receipt. Under certain circumstances, you can claim the donations on your taxes.

Don’t have a lot of clothes to get rid of? Here are some other ideas: go through your kitchen appliances. Have you used an item in the past year? No? Donate it! Do you have a bunch of holey sheets, old blankets, or towels? You can take them to a local animal shelter and free up some space.

In-kind donations can help knock some things off your to-do list, improve your living situation, and help some people less fortunate!

 

Volunteering Your Time

Time is money. As a freelancer who also works a full-time job and tries to have a life outside of work, I know this from experience. That small amount of time I have that I’m not working is very precious for me. We as Americans are nonstop, busy busy busy, and sometimes–that’s a lie, all the time–it feels like there aren’t enough hours each day.

If you find yourself with some extra time, why not donate it to someone in need? Nonprofits are often struggling for volunteers—and so donating your time is one of the best ways to help out!

On top of that, there are volunteer opportunities for every taste and schedule. Do you like to garden? Check out your local parks department or local public gardens. Love pets? I once had a long conversation with someone from an animal shelter who said they’re always looking for people to come spend time with the animals. Like kids? Volunteer at a day care, or at a local nonprofit dance center!

On top of helping the needy, volunteering is a great way to meet new people and make friends. It gets you out of the house, experiencing life, and depending on the kind of volunteering you do, can open your eyes to a world you never knew.

Last October, I volunteered with Leap of Joy at their booth at ACL. I had so much fun! Live music is a passion of mine and I got to meet so many new people, while some of my favorite artists served as a musical background. Volunteering doesn’t have to just be grueling manual labor. It can be whatever you want it to be!

Ready to volunteer? Here’s a link to an Austin 360 article with lots of local volunteer opportunities! The best thing–it’s organized by subject.

 

Pick Up Trash

Austin gets an average of 228 days of sunshine a year. While July and August are grueling, there is plenty of beautiful weather in the spring and fall. Joining a community clean-up is a great excuse to get outside in the sunshine! Not only do you get some exercise and vitamin D, but helping to clean up the community helps the environment.

On top of that, it costs the city a lot of money to clean up litter; volunteering means less of our tax dollars going toward trash pickup. That’s more money that can be dispersed elsewhere…maybe towards funding arts programs in public schools! (I can wish, can’t I?)

Picking up trash is fairly self explanatory. It cleans up the city, making it look much nicer, allowing us to enjoy more of the beautiful city and the nature that surrounds it. Additionally, picking up litter helps the environment.

On the same note, helping in your everyday life to reduce the use of plastics and reuse what you can’t avoid is another way to give back not only to your community, but the Earth as well.

Here’s a link to Keep Austin Beautiful, a great resource for community cleanups. Not only can you register for existing events, but if there’s an area in town you think needs help, you can schedule your own!

 

Participate in a Fundraiser

One of my favorite ways to give back is attending a fundraiser. As an artist, writer, dancer and actor, I’ve always enjoyed going to live shows and art exhibits. A lot of these shows use ticket sales to raise funds for their programs, including Leap of Joy.

If there’s an organization you’re particularly fond of—mine include Austin Shakespeare and Tapestry Dance—the best way to stay informed of what they have going on is to subscribe to their newsletter. Whenever they have an event, you’ll be notified directly in your inbox. This way, you’ll have direct access to fundraising opportunities like ground-breaking plays, incredible dance performances, and heart-warming recitals.

(Psst…if you’d like to hear more from us, why not consider subscribing to Leap of Joy’s newsletter? Scroll down to the bottom of our home page to subscribe)

Not a fan of dance shows or theatre? There are many other events that raise funds for non-profits. Are you a runner, or just like to walk? Many running events help raise funds for charity. Like to dress up? Consider a ball or a gala. Like volunteering, there are fundraising opportunities for all tastes. All it requires is a little bit of research. This, too, is one of the easiest ways to give back, because not only are you helping out a good cause, but you’re getting something out of it, whether it’s entertainment, or a really awesome workout. Cynical of me? Maybe, but in my experience we all are more inclined to do things when there’s a direct benefit for ourselves 😉

Don’t know where to start? Check out Eventbrite’s Charity Events filter.

 

Enroll Your Kid in a Class

If you subscribe to our newsletter, you know we’ve just opened up new Saturday dance classes for kids. This is the first time we’ve ever opened class up to the public, and we’re very excited! Classes are on Saturdays from 10-11:30, for ages 7-14. It costs $250 for 14 weeks, or $18 per class, but as always, we offer scholarships for kiddos.

All the proceeds from these classes go to help Leap of Joy fund our other events, helping us bring dance and theatre to some of the less fortunate kiddos in Austin.

But it doesn’t stop at Leap of Joy. Many nonprofits that focus on the arts also offer classes and workshops—including the two I mentioned above, Austin Shakespeare and Tapestry. This is one of the main ways they’re able to raise enough money to operate. If you’re looking for a reason to get your children (or yourself!) out of the house and learn something, taking a class or participating in a workshop with a local nonprofit is a great way to do it.

These are just a few ways to give back to the community this year. There are many other ways, if none of these options suit you. But I challenge everyone to give back at least once this year. We often take for granted the opportunities and resources given to us every day; there are so many people out in the world who need our help. Giving back, just a little, can make the community a better place to live.

Help us at Leap of Joy stick to our resolutions; help us give back in 2020. Who knows; you may even start a trend.

 

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Our organization Leap of Joy, a 501(c)3 nonprofit since 2010 offers dance and theater arts after school and summer camp enrichment programs to at-risk youth in underserved schools in Austin, TX.  Since 2010, our program has been funded through grants from AISD, City of Austin, Texas Commission on The Arts, Target, A Glimmer of Hope, fundraising and private donations.  Leap of Joy is moving to give at-risk youth empowerment and self-acceptance through dance and performance arts. 

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Austin, Texas, United States

Call Us: (512) 507-3310

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