WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A local non-profit focused on providing after-school programs for kids is expanding its transportation options.
The Boys & Girls Club of the Wausau Area announced today that they have expanded their after-school transportation locations for the 2019 school year. Last year the Club only had 6 schools as a part of their transportation options. That number has now grown to 11 different schools.
Events and Marketing Director Cassandra Ambrosius says some of the added schools include both Wausau high schools. “We have both middle schools, both high schools in the Wausau school district. And then a number of elementary schools as well.
“The Boys & Girls Club is open to students 4th grade and up. So this allows us to be able to transfer them from school to the Club in a safe manner.”
The Club has been thinking about expanding its transportation access for some time now. The most important thing for the organization is to provide opportunities and programming for members. Which includes removing barriers like transportation for members to have access to the programs provided at the Boys &Girls Club.
And more expansion could happen in the years to come. Ambrosius explains that based on feedback from this year’s expansion, the Boys & Girls Club could add more schools to their bus route.
“It might be expanding or changing kind of depending on the feedback that we’re getting and how it’s working. Then so as this is kind of the first introduction of it we’ll see kind of where it goes from here and where the need is. If there are needs at various places beyond what we’re able to provide right now. It’s kind of a work in progress.”
Transportation to the Club is a vital part of making sure members can attend and get the benefits of going to the Club. Ambrosius mentions studies and research has shown that kids who go to the Club are less likely to skip school and are more likely to pursue further education like college.
CEO Matt Jameson says in a press release that, “Part of our mission is to develop a passion for learning, a component of that is offering the Boys & Girls Club as a safe and fun place for kids to go after-school.”
The expanded after-school transportation began at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. Elementary school students who want to ride the bus to the Boys and Girls Club do need to fill out a permission form, which can be found online.
