The Henderson chapter of Citizen Schools published its annual report recently.
The national Citizen Schools program began in 1995. The purpose of the program is to expand the learning day of low-income middle school students to help them develop skills in academics and leadership that they will need to succeed in high school and beyond.
The Henderson chapter of Citizens Schools completed its second year of operation on the campus of Henderson Middle School during the 2008-2009 school year.
During the course of the program, HMS students completed apprenticeships in:
According to the report, 59 students participated in the fall program and 64 participated in the spring program. Retention for the program was 56%. The program also boasted a 64% in maintained and inproved language arts grades for participants along with a 55% rating for math.
The report also lists numbers tracking improvement in leadership skills, oral communications skills, and overall GPA of students.
Henderson Middle School Citizen Schools students showed modest gains in their average GPA between the first quarter and the third quarter of the academic year, with sixth graders showing the most growth.
The North Carolina chapter of the organization, which is run out of Charlotte, is currently seeking Golden LEAF funds to continue its efforts in Vance County.