If parents are unable to pick up their kids from school, there’s now an afterschool care group that can help.
The non-profit Revelstoke Afterschool Society launched this fall with the capacity to take 24 elementary kids from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm, Mon. to Fri.
READ MORE: New Revelstoke afterschool care group seeking public support
The group got $8,000 from the Columbia Basin Trust last spring, which the organization said helped provide two families with afterschool care for free, who could not afford it previously. The grant also helped with startup costs.
Normally, the charge per child is $25 daily, including snacks and transportation.
The program is outdoor focused and kids go to playgrounds, parks and the greenbelt. Students gather for story time in fields, chase insects, build bows and arrows and throw paper airplanes.
The goal is to inspire and engage students in the outdoors, helping them build meaningful connections with the natural worlds, develop creative skills and promote mental health through play, education and reflection, said the organization.
“Kids learn to appreciate being outside. Hopefully that’s kept until they are older and they appreciate where they live,” said Lindsay Walker, board member.
Joanne Gawler, executive director, said due to COVID-19, there’s an emphasis on outdoor education.
“Have a child count acorns, instead of learning on a chalk board,” she said.
READ MORE: Parents, educators push for outdoor learning experiments to address COVID fears
Since the start of the pandemic, the province’s top health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has encouraged people to go outside.
She said spending time outdoors is beneficial for mental and physical health.
A recent Japanese study, that has yet to be peer-reviewed, suggested COVID-19 was 18 times more likely to spread indoors than outside.
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets.
The Revelstoke Afterschool Society said spots are still available. More information is available on their website.
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