In three short weeks, it begins again – and anew!
Serving Chester’s students for more than 20 years, the Chester Eastside’s After-School Program has been revamped and renewed, and will begin on Monday, September 30.
What’s Different?
- Our name: Kids First: CEI
- We will be serving boys and girls in grades 1-4.
- Enrollment will be 24 students.
- We will be serving in partnership with Girls First, which specializes in an arts curriculum they created, and Chester ExChange, which serves Chester students by offering collaborative literacy programs.
- Each of these organizations will supply trained, certified teachers who specialize in either the arts or child literacy.
- CEI will provide four staff members to organize, coordinate, and manage the daily activities.
- We have invested in new technology to enhance our record-keeping and communications.
What’s The Same!
- Each day all students receive a healthy, home-cooked meal when they arrive at 3:00pm.
- Volunteers from local colleges (Cheyney, Swarthmore, and Widener), congregations, and the larger community will interact with students by tutoring, mentoring, leading, and playing and laughing.
- The schedule includes a wide variety of enrichment experiences, special guests and activities, and field trips.
- Each semester will conclude with a masterful production – called a SHOWCASE – where the students will present their artistic and literary accomplishments.
- Most of all, each day, each child will be welcomed with loving, open arms into a safe place where they can feel free to learn, play, and become inspired about their futures.
If you would like to enroll your child(ren), you can use the link below to fill out and submit the form. Soon after we receive it, we will reach back out to confirm the registration until we reach capacity. If you right click anywhere on the form and choose the “translate” option from the drop down menu, you can choose whatever language you are most comfortable with.
Click here to register a child in Kids First: CEI
If you are interested in supporting Kids First: CEI with your time, talents, or energies, please call the office at 610-872-4812. You can also offer financial contributions using the button at the bottom of this page.
And if you want to read a more detailed description of the program, you can click here.
Camp Phoenix Wrap Up
We are so grateful for all who supported our summer camp this year. The camp lasted for the entire month of July, and culminated with a field trip to Washington, DC to visit the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
This year we were especially blessed to join with the Chester Education Foundation and Making A Change Group in running the camp. Here is a piece from a MACG newsletter about the camp…
Thank You for Supporting Our Summer Camp Scholarships!
We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who generously donated to our scholarship fund, enabling children to attend the Camp Phoenix. Your contributions have made a significant impact, providing Chester children with the opportunity to experience a summer filled with fun, learning, and personal growth.
Our new Youth Development Specialist, Melissa Jones, shares her experience working at the camp:
“Working with Camp Phoenix has been an incredibly rewarding experience, as I’ve had the chance to bond with each unique child in their own special way. I love coming in every day to see their bright faces. Fridays, our trip days, are not only fun but educational. Wednesdays bring a lot of joy with it being swim days, lighting up their smiles even more!
Although, I’ll be saddened when camp comes to an end, it brings me joy to know that the camp will be around next year, and I’ll have the privilege of working with some of the kids throughout the year.”
Thank you once again for your support. Your generosity ensures that our children have enriching experiences that will positively shape their futures.
Upcoming Events
The Second Annual Harvest Festival
Saturday, October 5
Come and join the seasonal festivities: harvesting our community garden, fun and games, lots of food off the grill, chili and pie cooking contests, community resources, and health screenings!