The “S.O.A.R.” program at Monroe County Middle School will be expanding this next year to include more students after an additional $335,000 (for five years) was received.

SOAR (Success, Opportunities, Achievement and Responsibilities) began two years ago for MCMS students and the year before for MCHS students and was awarded an expansion grant from the state’s 21st Community Learning Center Program to add an additional 70 students to their enrollment.

“We are very excited about what this additional funding can offer for Monroe County Middle School students,” Principal Tony Harlan noted. “Over the past two years, we have seen this program emerge and have over 70 students attending most days. Children can receive help on their homework or on skills they might not have mastered during the regular school day, as well as participate in many extra curricular activities.”

Students at any of Monroe County’s five 21CCLC centers can get help with their homework assignments, receive tutoring services, or participate in a wide variety of extra curricular activities such as Zumba, karate, card making or chess. At the middle school, students who might have shown need for growth on the Thinklink or EXPLORE testing are also targeted for intervention, receiving extra instructional time.

Throughout the program, students can choose different activities from both the middle and high school offerings.

Parent Nights, such as last fall’s College and Career Readiness Fair, will also be a part of this 21CCLC grant with Site Coordinators already in place at each school.

After-school programs will continue until the end of May with summer programs already planned by S.O.A.R. beginning soon after the regular school dismisses.

“Our summer programming is wonderful for our students,” said site coordinator Randy Carter. “Students who need to make up work and credits for grade promotion or graduation from Monroe County Middle School are able to do that, but the enrichment program grows every year. Students want to come to participate in aviation camp, arts and crafts, open gym and many other activities, fill up our program each year.”