100 East Eighth Street, 7th Floor
Cincinnati, OH 45202
CISE/Friars Club Afterschool Study and Sport Program
CISE (Catholic Inner-city Schools Education) supports ten Cincinnati inner-city elementary schools, Corryville Catholic/Corryville, Holy Family/Price Hill, Romero Academy at Resurrection/Price Hill, St. Boniface/Northside, St. Cecilia/Oakley, St. Francis de Sales/Walnut Hills, St. Francis Seraph/Over-the-Rhine, St. Joseph/West End, St Lawrence/Price Hill, and St. William/Price Hill.
Students are taught Gospel values and children of all faiths are welcome. The schools provide a safe, nurturing environment, teaching respect and discipline. The CISE/Friars Club After-school Study and Sports Program works with six of the CISE schools and provides extracurricular sports activities along with a healthy snack and assistance with studies. Homework is completed before sports participation. The students enjoy learning the skills and rules of basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Over 300 CISE boys and girls gain experience in teamwork, life skills, and sports fundamentals from seventy-plus volunteers at Friars Club. The students receive opportunities that they might not be able to receive at their elementary school or in their communities.
This year proved unique as in March 2020, COVID-19 put an abrupt end to the in-person programming. Friars Club pivoted its services by going online with activities. Students could use their school tablets to participate in online fitness classes, geared to keep them physically active. As safety protocols were established, individual training sessions and small groups were offered, minimizing unnecessary exposure to others. Family time was offered so an individual family could enjoy the courts and stay safe. As vaccines became available and more was learned about the coronavirus, activities were slowly added back into the program; volleyball players wore masks and basketball courts afforded distance playing. Sanitizing equipment and surfaces areas kept the children, their families, and volunteers as safe as possible.
The CISE/Friars Club Success Stories this year involved the ability to switch gears quickly from in-person sessions to online activities with a number of the students participating. Friars Club stayed in contact with the students through online platforms, offering fitness classes and exercise. Putting safety first and initiating safe practices enabled students and their families to choose to remain active whenever possible.
A Dater Foundation grant provided major funding for the Afterschool Study and Sports Program and enabled it to continue.
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