After-school program thrives at Florida post

For 23 years, Alton Green Memorial American Legion Post 194 in St. Augustine, Fla., has provided its Kids Safe Zone after-school program and summer camp programs at no cost to parents or guardians of children in pre-k to 8th grade at Webster Elementary School. The school is located around the corner from the post.

“Our kids are composed of ‘at-risk and often grandparent-raised’ kids who are in need of academic help and supervised recreational programs,” said Greg White, past post commander and overseer of the program.

Four retired teachers and three assistants are onsite to assist with the 45-plus kids in the program and provided one-on-one support. White said a recent reporting period showed vast improvement in the kids’ reading and math grades.

Post 194 holds a family dinner night each reporting period to recognize students who made the honor roll. Local vendors recently sponsored bicycles for the six A honor roll students and four for the A-B honor roll students. Legionnaires in attendance gave each honor roll student a gift card or a monetary donation as a continued incentive for the next period. 

As honor students names were called, White said they ran to the front as cheers and applause errupt as if they were at a pep rally. “The smiles on their faces as they reach the front is worth every minute and dollar spent to keep the program afloat,” White said. After the school year has ended, the post transitions to a summer camp. Kids learn to swim, go on cultural outings, and see how city and county government works.

“We realize that every kid has the potential to be successful, but has to be put in the type of environment and given the right exposure to nurture and grow on their goals in life,” White said. “Our KSZ (Kids Safe Zone) programs strive for those very things.”

In 2019, Post 194’s Kids Safe Zone program was awarded the Department of Florida’s “Best Children and Youth Program.”