What was the spark that started Up On Top's educational program?

Up On Top began as a way to address the crisis in affordable after school care. The initial idea emerged in 1998 as a response to the shifts in federal welfare, which moved families into working situations without providing childcare. Concerned members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of San Francisco formed a Task Force and later opened Up On Top in 2001. Today, the program has a waiting list each year and is recognized as a model academic enrichment program.

Why is an after-school program important to children, their families and employers?

For children, Up On Top creates a nurturing environment that prepares them for academic and social success, offering a well-rounded curriculum comprised of homework support, tutoring, literacy support and language arts. The creative activities include art, drama and music. The children also enjoy field trips, swimming lessons, sports and unstructured play time. More than 90% of the children are from minority backgrounds and the staff helps them appreciate their multicultural backgrounds

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. For children, participation in Up On Top is associated with more positive attitudes towards school work, better school attendance, reduced drop out rates, higher quality homework completion, improved grades and higher aspirations for college. Children who attend after school programs also develop better interpersonal skills and work habits, spending less time in unhealthy behaviors..

For employers, the availability of after school care directly affects many of their employees. About half of today’s workforce has children under the age of 18. Having affordable child care available, helps families secure and maintain employment.

What Have We Learned?

Over the past seven years the staff at Up On Top has gained a deep understanding on how to provide hope, stability and fun to children, enabling them to be successful in school and in life.

Many live in some of the most at-risk neighborhoods in San Francisco. Up On Top’s focus for success is to:

1. Offer a nurturing environment that is safe, fun, and academically challenging.
2. Provide cultural enrichment, love for reading, field trips, and the arts.
3. Listen, be aware of what excites children, shaping curriculum that helps them
   best to learn and thrive.
4. Recognize each child’s individuality and at the same time instill a sense of
   community and respect for one another.
5. Keep the program small at each after school site, enrolling 25-35 children.
6. Have low student/teacher ratios, 10:1.
7. Include children with disabilities, centering on their strengths.
8. Create cross-cultural interaction, by providing volunteer opportunities.
9. Encourage families to be involved in their children’s education.
10. Give children and their families a hand-up to reach for the stars.

What are Up On Top’s plan for the future?

1. Continued commitment to the Creative Arts Program by providing the arts as part of the curriculum with participation of professional artists in the community.

2. Partnering with existing after school programs for the continuation of after school services for children graduating out of our program. 

3. Increase the number of after school and summer program sites in the San Francisco area.    

4. For graduating students create a methodology for tracking and maintaining a continuing relationship with graduates of the program.

5. Intentional outreach to non English speaking families by providing a network of persons who can act as translators and translate brochure and information materials in the languages of children served.