Organization: EAST PALO ALTO TENNIS & TUTORING
Mission: A FREE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SERVING K-12TH GRADE YOUTH.
Activities: ACADEMIC:WHEN COVID-19 FORCED SCHOOLS TO CLOSE, WE REACHED OUT TO EPATT FAMILIES TO ASCERTAIN WHAT THEY NEEDED TO ENSURE THEIR CHILDREN COULD ACCESS DISTANCE LEARNING. IN SHORT ORDER, WE PROCURED AND DISTRIBUTED HOTSPOTS, LAPTOPS, TABLETS, AND WEBCAMS TO HELP PREVENT GREATER LEARNING DISRUPTION AMONG OUR STUDENTS. WE LEVERAGED OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEER TUTOR CORPS TO PROVIDE ACADEMIC SUPPORT TO OUR STUDENTS ONLINE. NINETY PERCENT (90%) OF OUR STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN OUR VIRTUAL SPRING AND SUMMER PROGRAMS.THE FOCUS OF OUR TUTORING SESSION IS ON SKILL BUILDING, AS EPATT WANTS TO EMPOWER AND IMPACT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS RATHER THAN JUST PROVIDE A SERVICE. IN A TYPICAL YEAR:-115 CHILDREN WORK WITH 125 PER QUARTER (ON AVERAGE), STANFORD UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WHO VOLUNTEER TO ACADEMICALLY TUTOR THE CHILDREN ONE-ON-ONE FOR A MINIMUM OF ONE ACADEMIC QUARTER. MOST TUTEES AND TUTORS ARE MATCHED FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. OVER 98% OF EPATT STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.-CHILDREN RECEIVE AN AVERAGE OF 3.5 HOURS OF ONE-ON-ONE TUTORING PER WEEK.-TUTORING RUNS 4 DAYS PER WEEK, 180 DAYS PER YEAR. A SUMMER PROGRAM THAT RUNS 5 WEEKS IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TUTORING DAYS.-TUTORS ARE KEPT ACCOUNTABLE BY TUTOR COORDINATORS AND THEY MUST FILL OUT A TUTOR LOG AFTER EACH TUTORING SESSION. TUTORING LOGS ARE WRITTEN ACCOUNTS OF TUTORING SESSIONS.-THE AVERAGE RETENTION RATE FOR CHILDREN IN OUR PROGRAM IS 2.9 YEARS AND TUTORS IS 1.6 YEARS.
TENNIS:WHILE TENNIS IS NOT TRADITIONALLY PLAYED BY UNDERSERVED YOUTH, EPATT USES TENNIS TO REINFORCE LIFE LESSONS. PARTICIPANTS LEARN TEAMWORK, DISCIPLINE, SELF-RELIANCE, SPORTSMANSHIP AND GAIN HEALTHY HABITS THROUGH REGULAR EXERCISE. IN THE EARLY MONTHS OF COVID-19, WE MOVED OUR TENNIS AND FITNESS ACTIVITIES ONLINE, OFFERING ZOOM-BASED CLASSES WITH OUR COACHES. DURING THE SUMMER, WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS PHYSICALLY ENGAGED THROUGH A VARIETY OF FUN, SOCIALLY DISTANCED FITNESS ACTIVITIES. IN A TYPICAL YEAR:-100 CHILDREN SPEND 2 TO 4 HOURS A WEEK IN GROUP TENNIS INSTRUCTION.-ABOUT 20% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE MEMBERS OF THE EPATT TOURNAMENT TEAM AND RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL 5 HOURS OF TENNIS PER WEEK IN ADDITION TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN CAMPS AND TOURNAMENTS.-EPATT PLAYERS HAVE BEEN RANKED BY THE UNITED STATES TENNIS ASSOCIATION (USTA).-OUR YOUNG CHILDREN PARTICIPATE IN THE 10 AND UNDER TENNIS PROTOCOL ESTABLISHED BY THE USTA AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF LOCAL PLAY DAYS AND EVENTS.
ENRICHMENT/PARENT:AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT GOAL HAS BEEN TO CHANGE STUDENTS' REFERENCE POINTS IN LIFE. EPATT STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES - OFTEN FIRST-TIME LIFE EXPERIENCES - SUCH AS CAMPING TRIPS, RIVER RAFTING, COLLEGE TOURS, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS.PARENTS ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF EPATT PROGRAMMING. EPATT DISTINGUISHES ITSELF FROM OTHER AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS THROUGH ITS EMPHASIS ON PARENT EMPOWERMENT. EPATT'S GOAL IS TO HELP PARENTS BECOME MORE ACTIVE IN THEIR CHILD'S ACADEMIC LIFE AND ENCOURAGE MORE READING AT HOME. PARENTS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND QUARTERLY WORKSHOPS AND VOLUNTEER IN THEIR CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS.AS PART OF OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19, WE CREATED ONLINE WORKSHOPS TO SUPPORT PARENTS.83% OF PARENTS SURVEYED, REPORT THAT HAVING EPATT AS A SAFETY NET REDUCES THEIR STRESS LEVELS.96% OF PARENTS AGREE THAT EPATT HELPED THEIR CHILD BE BETTER PREPARED FOR DISTANCE LEARNING.
NTEE category: Education
Secondary category: Recreation & Sports