For more information on becoming involved as a volunteer or registering your child to attend GCLC, please call our office at 256.723.2273 or email our Site Director, Alex Forsythe, at gclcsitedirector@gmail.com
21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS
"Education is the tool that breaks down all barriers."
Gurley Community Learning Center (GCLC), New Hope Community Learning Center (NHCLC), and Owens Cross Roads Community Learning Center (OCRCLC) are ministries of The CARE Center’s Fuel Their Hunger To Learn program. This incredible program is funded by a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant awarded by the Alabama State Department of Education. Additional funding from Mazda Toyota Manufacturing and the United Way of Madison County Community Impact grant supplements programmatic costs not allowable by 21stCCLC.
We aim to create a safe and caring environment for students where learning is disguised as fun. Our program builds student science, technology, engineering, math, reading, and art skills. Students also enjoy character education programs and social-emotional learning that teach children how to resolve and cope with many of today’s issues.
Additionally, we provide service-learning opportunities that prepare students to give back to their community.
Our 21st Century Community Learning Centers are in session during the school year Monday- Friday from 2:30 – 5:30 PM. They also provide a fun, 5-week Summer camp experience. All programs are cost-free.
Gurley Community Learning Center
GCLC serves students in grades Kindergarten – 8th grade who are zoned for Madison County Elementary School.
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New Hope Community Learning Center
NHCLC serves students in grades Kindergarten – 6th grade who are zoned for New Hope Elementary and High School.
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For more information on becoming involved as a volunteer with or registering your child to attend NHCLC, please call our office at 256.723.2273 or email our Site Director, Dawn Lasater, at dlasater@mcssk12.org
Owens Cross Roads Community Learning Center
OCRCLC serves students in Kindergarten
– 4th grade who are zoned for Owens Cross Roads School.
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For more information on becoming involved as a volunteer or registering your child to attend OCRCLC, please call our office at 256.723.2273 or email our Site Director, Melissa Kellar, at ocrclcclubs@gmail.com
Fuel Their Hunger to Learn
The CARE Center is a community collaborator with New Hope Elementary and High School, Owens Cross Roads Elementary, and Madison County Elementary and High School through the Fuel Their Hunger to Learn education initiative. Our objective is to provide students with access to enrichment opportunities, academic remediation, and emergency services previously unavailable locally. As a result, we expect students in our program to grow academically, develop age-appropriate social and emotional skills, and for their family unit to be strengthened. This is accomplished by giving students access to weekly academic support, enrichment programs, and emergency services that lead to student success, growth, and development.
After-School Programs and Summer Camps
The CARE Center continues to serve families in southeast Madison County with after-school hands-on learning programs and summer camps. These serve as a haven for more than 250 students daily at four local schools. Students and their parents rely on the program to provide homework assistance, STEM activities, reading, art enrichment, physical activity, nutritious snacks, character education, and participation in service learning activities. As a result, students enrolled in The CARE Center’s Community Learning Center programs have experienced drastic improvements in grades and behavior!
Bags of Blessings is a weekend food security program partnered with New Hope Elementary and High School and Owens Cross Roads School to provide meal packs to children who qualify for this program. In many cases, the meals at school are the only healthy food these children receive. The meal packs are distributed each Friday discreetly and help supplement children through the weekend. In addition, larger break bags are provided for Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, Christmas Break, Spring Break, and Summer Break. By delivering weekend food to children, school administrators have reported an increase in school day attendance, test scores, and a decrease in behavioral issues; ultimately allowing the children to take their focus off their hunger crisis and put it back on their school work and learning.
Volunteer Tutors and Mentors
The CARE Center provides volunteers who serve as tutors and lunch buddies during the school day at each of our partnering schools (NHES, NHHS, OCRS, MCES, and MCHS.) Volunteers work one-on-one with students and teachers to help overcome academic barriers. Lunch buddies are volunteers assigned to a student in need of a mentor. They will meet during the student’s designated lunch time, preferably one time per week. For more information regarding our volunteer opportunities, please call our main office at 256-723-2273 or email us at info@thecare-center.org.