Kendrick schools, Kamiah youth program receive grants from state

The Kendrick Joint School District and the Upriver Youth Leadership Council in Kamiah were two of 13 community groups and school districts in Idaho to receive substantial grants from the Idaho Department of Education for youth academic and enrichment programs.

The $119,901 grant to Kendrick schools and the $115,000 grant to the Kamiah youth group are through the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center program. Sherri Ybarra, superintendent of public instruction, said the grants help support schools and programs by “keeping students safe and academically engaged beyond regular school hours, (and) helping to reduce achievement gaps and ease families’ child care costs.”

Steve Kirkland, superintendent of the Kendrick School District, said the grant has been awarded in the past and it helps the district to offer full-day kindergarten to about 20 students and a before- and after-school program that serves between 40 to 60 students on a regular basis.

These programs include academic enrichment; support for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculum; and physical education.

“We also offer family engagement night that focuses on things like reading and STEM activities,” Kirkland said. “It’s really about enriching and academic support for kids and family.”

Sharlene Johnson, executive director of the Kamiah group, said the grant, which begins July 1, will increase the focus at the teen center on Main Street to more of an after-school program. It will offer homework help, tutoring and team activities.

“We’ll be working with the teachers of the school to make sure what we’re doing is aligning with what they’re teaching,” Johnson said.

The program will also include busing and hot meals. The youth center is open seven days a week and will continue throughout the summer.

“So we’ll address the loss of learning kids have over the summer, and include field trips, such as to the (Lewiston) civic theater. We don’t have a lot of humanities around here,” Johnson said.

The grant will help pay for assistants for the program, use of the building and supplies. Johnson said the center will also offer large- and smaller-group counseling sessions.

The youth council has been in operation since 2017 and focuses largely on the prevention of drug and alcohol use. The council was recently awarded a $51,000 grant from Idaho’s Response to the Opioid Crisis Community Recovery Supports Services to extend its program to families of youths for substance abuse prevention.

Johnson said it has become clear that in order to help teens stay off drugs, families also need help.

These five-year 21st Century Community Learning Center grants are awarded annually through federal Title IV, Part B funding for out-of-school and summer learning programs. This year’s recipients were selected from among 22 eligible applicants and total $1.65 million.

Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com or (208) 983-2326.