Kids-U’s Jacob, at Alista apartments. (Brandy Barham for the Advocate)
A couple years ago we visited the Kids-U after school tutoring program at the Alista Apartments in Lake Highlands. Kids-U is a nonprofit that works with students at many of our neighborhood’s affordable apartment communities, which often are occupied by families with limited resources and access to quality afterschool care.
Started in 2002, the nonprofit was formed in an effort “to combat one of the most profound problems in Dallas: children not completing their education,” founder Brandon Baker told us at the time. He pointed to a study (“Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s Communities”, 2006) that shows that more than 100,000 students ages 5-13 in Dallas County are unsupervised during after-school hours.
2015 series Kids-U Christmas cards. (Courtesy Kids-U)
“We believe these are the most critical hours for the student,” Baker said.
Kids-U tries to ensure students have a snack, do homework and play each weekday afternoon. With supervision, they avoid risks such as substance abuse and criminal or sexual behaviors, Baker said.
This holiday season, the Kids-U students are earning money for the program by creating Christmas cards, which you can purchase here. Each set contains 10 cards with envelopes and costs $16.
