Up On Top’s Dynamic
After School and Summer Program

Up On Top’s mission is to provide licensed, safe, enriching and fun after school care for children from low-income families living primarily in San Francisco’s Tenderloin and Western Addition neighborhoods.

The staff creates a nurturing environment, which prepares children for academic and social success. They offer a well-rounded curriculum including homework support, academic tutoring and enrichment, science, leadership classes and field trips. The Creative Arts Program includes art and music classes taught by professional artists.

The staff oversee two after school programs for 50 youth in grades K-5 and they help them become comfortable readers by the third grade and competent with math at their grade level. The staff works closely with each child’s teacher, parents and caregivers to reinforce academic skills.

In addition, Up On Top now manages the Comprehensive Youth Development Program at the Tenderloin Community Elementary School. The staff of this program provides tangible resources for supporting the students, the school and the after school community. They reward students daily for good character traits and for completing their homework on time which results in better grades.

The coordinator also meets monthly with all teachers and providers at ten on-site and off-side after school programs, which 200 Tenderloin students attend, to encourage collaborations, better communication and offer technical assistance. Two case workers also provide no cost educational advice, medical and social services to all students.

During the summer, Up On Top also offers an all-day Summer Program for multiethnic children from K-5th grade that includes field trips daily and swimming lessons.

Research shows that if children are not reading comfortably by the third grade they are more vulnerable to drug usage, teen pregnancy or incarceration in later years. The Up On Top program helps to prevent these negative behaviors in children by reinforcing good reading and math skills by the third grade.

How did this program begin?

The program began when concerned members of the First Unitarian Universalist Church formed a Children’s Task Force. They researched the unmet needs of low-income families moving from welfare to work. Due to their hard work and help from many volunteers and supporters, Up On Top opened its doors in 2001. Today, Up On Top is a community-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and a fully licensed day care facility in California.

Last year, the SF Team program, which is part of the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Families, gave Up On Top $102,000 to expand the program up to the fifth grade and include 40 kids. Then Up On Top won a three-year award for $102,000 over the next three years and $25,000 for the Summer Program. Twice, their staff have issued a report that said the program exceeds expectations in all areas.

As part of Up On Top’s strategic plan for 2007-2010, the Board of Directors wanted to expand the program to a second campus. This fall, the Tenderloin Community School began a collaboration with Up On Top. As a result, the school gained state ExCEL funding to provide staff for the Achievers Academy after school program and the Youth Development Program. Up On Top is the fiscal agent for these programs.

Why are after-school programs so important?

Test results show that most kids do much better in school as a result of this program. The high adult-to-child ratio means the staff along with volunteers can interact with children on an individual basis to meet their personal and academic needs.

For working parents, access to high-quality after-school programs assures them that when they are working their children are well cared for and engaged in positive activities that will help them in succeed in school. For employers, after school programs help families maintain employment.

Besides living in the Tenderloin and Western Addition neighborhoods, all of the children meet the standards of The San Francisco Unified School District for a free or reduced cost lunch. About 90% of these 400 children are ethnic minorities.

Some children live with their grandparents, extended families, foster parents or a single parent. A few children lived in homeless shelters. Many children have special needs and need extra attention, or their teacher referred them since they had behavior problems.

Parental or caretakers’ involvement is essential to the program’s success since kids do better when the whole family is involved. Parents are asked to commit to ten hours of volunteer work each semester and review a list of ways to help. Besides coming to events, parents volunteer at events or chaperon on field trips.