GRANT REPORT - EASTSIDE STUDENT CENTER
“Thank you so much to everyone that supports MMCF and their grant program for local organizations like Eastside Student Center. MMCF is a very worthy organization, and their impact on the local community is abundantly visible. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a single student in the Eastern Sierra that hasn’t been positively impacted by a program supported by MMCF. ”
Because of passionate, dedicated people, there are wonderful things happening on the Eastside. The Eastside Student Center is one of them. As an after school center, the Eastside Student Center has served students from all over the Eastern Sierra. 75% of the students enrolled are identified as socioeconomically disadvantaged. This is a safe place where students can drop in after school, get homework and academic support, participate in activities and be served a snack and even dinner! It is a place where students can find productive alternatives to risky behaviors like substance use. Jordan Rose, the Executive Director, spent some time with us to tell us all about this amazing program! Here is what she had to say.
What did you get from the grant?
Eastside Student Center (ESC) received a grant for $10,000 from MMCF for the Fall 2023 grant cycle. Grant funds were used to pay for staffing needs, as well as provide free afterschool snacks and meals for students in attendance. With the funds, we were able to partially fund two critically important staff positions (Program Lead & Program Specialist) for the Spring semester, as well as purchase 13 weeks worth of healthy afterschool snacks for our over 100 5th-8th grade students.
How did this grant improve the lives of the students in regards to general well-being and/or any specifics you would like to add?
Safe and supportive out-of-school spaces for youth are one of the most effective protective factors against risky behaviors like substance use in youth. A large percentage of youth that experiment with substances or have run-ins with law enforcement, do so between the hours of 3PM and 6PM. Having a reliable, welcoming, and substance-free space where youth know they can go every day after school directly improves their well-being. Free food always brings people in, especially hungry teenagers. Additionally, one of the best ways for youth to build resilience is having a trusted adult in their lives. This can be a teacher, a counselor, a parent or other family member. It can also be an afterschool staff member, which is why it's so important that we are able to hire amazing people that our youth can depend on. This grant helped make that possible.
How did this grant improve their educational experience?
Having a place to look forward to afterschool plays a huge role in increased school attendance. Data from various studies, as well as our own anecdotal evidence, shows that youth that are involved in some sort of out-of-school activity; like sports, clubs, or afterschool programs; have better school attendance than those that don't. And it's hard to have a positive educational experience at school if you don't show up. Eastside Student Center is a place students look forward to going to, which helps get them to school. Additionally, youth that come to our centers have time and space to work on homework or projects, as well as academic support from our staff and volunteers.
What is your student population and what has this grant done to help them?
Our student population is very diverse. We currently serve youth in grades 5 - 12, and have over 200 students currently enrolled between our two centers. About 90% of our population qualify for free or reduced-price school lunch (which isn't a thing anymore, but is still used as a key data point in the education/youth-services world). Afterschool programs and spaces can be financially out of reach for a lot of our local families, so it is super important and critical to our mission at ESC that everything we do and offer is free of charge for all youth. This includes our drop-in centers, activities, programs, workshops, field-trips, snacks, meals, you name it; literally everything is free. Because of this, we don't generate any of our own revenue and are reliant on our community for support to keep us operating. Grants like this one from MMCF are the only reason we are able to do what we do.
You mention that you have opened up a second center. Can you tell us about that and the additional impact it will have to the youth you are serving?
Yes! We opened a second drop-in center this Fall at the beginning of the school year. Last year we really saw the need for more space, and for a bit of separation between age groups. This new space, the Fowler Street Center, is available for local 5th & 6th grade youth, and is located a short 5-10 minute walk from the schools in Bishop. This has allowed us to expand our Line Street Center program to high school students this year, which is an exciting new step for us. Our Fowler Street Center is wildly popular, and we see anywhere between 40 to 70 students per day. Line Street ebbs and flows a bit more with attendance. Older youth have a lot more going on, like sports and jobs and cars, so the after school options expand a lot at that age. But we still see anywhere from 15 to 30 students per day at Line Street, which is pretty exciting for our first full-year offering to older youth.
How has this grant made a positive impact in your community?
This grant from MMCF has allowed us to continue operating and expanding our free drop-in centers, which have become invaluable for a lot of youth and families in our community. This last year and a half has really shown how important these spaces are, and the families and students that have come to rely on them are very appreciative. As we continue to offer these spaces, we have only seen interest and attendance grow, and we are constantly trying to figure out how we can best serve our local youth and families. MMCF was one of our first ever grant providers when we started up back in 2021. Without that initial grant, it's very possible that Eastside Student Center wouldn't be where it is today. The continued support of MMCF is having a noticeable & positive impact on our community
Is there anything you would like to convey to our donors?
Thank you so much to everyone that supports MMCF and their grant program for local organizations like Eastside Student Center. MMCF is a very worthy organization, and their impact on the local community is abundantly visible. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a single student in the Eastern Sierra that hasn't been positively impacted by a program supported by MMCF. That's a pretty effective Foundation by any standard. Keep up the amazing work, MMCF, and thank you again to all the donors, supporters & volunteers that make these grants possible!
