Church-based Service Learning Centers
a partnership between the YMCA, Justice League, and Local Faith Communities
Churches in Chapel Hill have partnered with the YMCA and the Justice League to support online education in our community. University United Methodist Church will host students in their facility with support from UPC and other area faith communities.
To find out more information,
read more below.
*This will take you to our main giving page. Please select the General Fund and add Service Learning in the memo line.
Would You Like to Volunteer?
Steps to volunteer:
*Click here to take you to the Chapel Hill – Carrboro Scholastic Support Center volunteer page.
Scroll to “How You Can Help” & search for the “University Methodist Church” site.
If you already HAVE a Volunteer Matters account:
· Click the blue ‘Volunteer’ button next to the registered participant position
· Click ‘Login’
· Sign in to your account
· Click the blue ‘Sign Up’ button
· You are now signed up!
If you DO NOT HAVE a Volunteer Matters account:
· Click the blue ‘Volunteer’ button next to the registered participant position
· Click ‘Register Now’
· Complete the required information
· Complete the required credentials. For Scholastic Support Center, this includes:
Reading through and signing required policies
Completing a child sexual abuse prevention training (about 30 minutes)
Watching a video around empathy
Completing a criminal background check
Scheduling a virtual interview with me (15 minutes)
Total, it should take around an hour to complete everything. The background check generally takes less than 24 hours to process. Once you have completed everything, please send me an email to schedule your interview. This can be done via zoom and should be no more than 15 minutes. It will give you a chance to ask any questions you may have.
What is the content of the program; what will students and supervisors actually do?
YMCA Scholastic Support Centers are a place where K –8 students can go to participate in their online school. Our focus at the University UMC site will be African-American K-4 students with some exceptions being made for older siblings of students who may be in middle school.
The program will be offered Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. with an extended day option until 6 p.m. We expect that most of our students at University UMC will take part in the full-day program.
Our site along with all other YMCA sites will be staffed by YMCA Program Directors, education specialists and staff who are trained to assist children with their remote learning and schoolwork. Spaces are designed to comply with state and local guidelines for safety and social distancing. YMCA staff will ensure that the site meets standards set by the state.
YMCA staff will ensure that students stay on task, login at the correct times for live instruction/ video conferencing and help with any technical difficulties. Staff are also available to help with questions students have throughout the day. Parents will be encouraged to check-in with their child to ensure all assignments and responsibilities have been met.
In the extended day program, when online school/ remote learning is completed, students will have time for homework, tutoring, or structured, age-appropriate games and enrichment activities.
Each student will wear a mask, have devices that have been provided for them by the school or from home, headphones with a microphone and appropriate school supplies. All staff members will also wear masks.
Details of people and movement
We will have:
- 5 classrooms
- Each classroom will have 10 students and 1 academic specialist.
- There is the possibility of recruiting 1 volunteer per classroom.
- We will also have a Site Manager who will be hired by the YMCA.
We have identified separate entrances
- Service Learning Centers – Lower backing lot doorway to the education building stairs.
- Pre-school – Front entrance by loop and possibly the driveway side entrance if we close the driveway gate during pickup and drop off.
- Church Staff – back main entrance or the Carrboro side entrance.
- Volunteers – Use of Carrboro entrance and the Vestry to sign checks, etc and the Vestry restroom – completely limit contact with anyone regularly at the church
- CCS – kitchen stairwell and elevator and main doors to parking lot for deliveries.
- We are placing window fans to optimize ventilation in each room that would be used by Pre-school and Service Learning Centers. Fans would also be placed in and 2nd floor hallway windows.
- Restroom access
- Learning Centers – Men’s and Women’s restroom on the 2nd floor only
- Pre-school – in-room restrooms for kids and restroom by Elevator for teachers
- Church staff – Basement or Restroom by elevators
- Others – Basement
- We have plenty of hand sanitizer and will be mounting touchless dispensers on moveable platforms and locate as necessary.
- We have sprayers for cleaning and sanitizing. We are reviewing a mist fogger next week.
- WiFi – we have GIG service through Spectrum. We are currently moving around our wifi access points to make sure we have good service in the Ed Wing without losing other areas that need WiFi. Right now the youth lounge and ramp don’t need service.
- We currently have evening custodial from 3:30- 7:30 M-Th. We may need to add a few additional hours to their day. We would call back our Friday contract cleaners to deep clean the Education Wing.
Cost and funding plan
Cost of the program: Approximately $120K at UUMC ($197 participant/week, 50 participants, 12 weeks. For the 2 church sites, it would be approximately 240K for both).
The program will begin approximately September 14 based upon smooth progression of the various steps needed to initiate the program. It will continue through the fall semester; plans for spring semester will be determined based upon local conditions and experience with the fall program.
Area local churches expect to fund 2 sites completely. Our site would be the first. All participating churches will all pay into a common fund that Church of the Advocate Episcopal will set up and the Advocate will pay the YMCA. Some funding may come from the School District, but the district has committed to ensuring transportation, food, and giving the YMCA names of students so that we can recruit students/families to the program.