VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — 13News Now is your back-to-school station and we know many parents are concerned about balancing work, as many students will start the new school year with online learning.
Fortunately, there's a new resource at the YMCA that’s meant to help families with just that.
The YMCA of South Hampton Roads will start a new program called the "YMCA E-Learning Academy."
To be clear, the Y won't provide actual educational instruction, but with the program, YMCA academic coaches will help students finish online assignments on time.
“They also will help them with those assignments if they get into some trouble,” said Jamie Childress, the Vice President of Youth Development for the YMCA of South Hampton Roads.
He said the e-learning academy is a full-day childcare program, where children bring their own electronic devices to do schoolwork for a designated time.
Childress said it helps parents find peace of mind.
“I think it’s incredibly important. I think a big concern that families have is: will their kids be able to be successful in school, in this virtual environment?” said Childress.
YMCA members in Virginia Beach think it’s a good idea for students.
“A lot of kids really need hands-on [learning],” said member, Marilyn Seruill-Boudlas. She also said, “You’ve got single parents that have to put their kids in some kind of daycare or some kind of after-school activity.”
For the rest of the day, students will do other activities with children, for social and emotional growth.
Childress said the Y can offer this program safely during the coronavirus pandemic, because they have smaller capacities in their buildings, compared to schools.
“So it’s a little bit easier for us to allocate space, whereas I think some of the school systems struggle with that,” said Childress.
The E-learning Academy starts in Virginia on September 8 and in North Carolina on August 17. It does cost between $25 to $40 per day, but financial assistance is available.
For more details on the program, click here.