Sponsored by Community First Bank of Indiana
For more than 25 years, the Student Impact program at The Rock Westfield has been inviting fifth-grade through high school students to attend after-school activities, meant to become a “home away from home” for young people in the community.
Moving into the new school year, Executive Director Brittany Delph said there is a common misconception that registrations are limited or the program is expensive — and it’s simply not true.
“We don’t turn any kids away. We are a free program for the community. The only activities that have a fee are our basketball leagues and camp, and we have scholarships available for those,” Delph said.
The program allows youth to build authentic relationships, get connected with resources if needed and even inspires older students to mentor the younger ones.
“We focus on three different groups. Roughly 37 percent of our students are experiencing adverse trauma at home. The second group are those students who would otherwise go home without adult supervision, and we know when they get bored or lonely, they’re more likely to get into trouble. And the third is leadership development,” Delph said.
The junior leadership program guides older students through leading a class, mentoring younger students and building lasting relationships.
Every student receives a hot meal when they walk in the door, focused on healthy fruits and vegetables. Cellphones are put away and the fun begins.
There are indoor games, a café to hang out in, an art room, dining space and podcast studio. When the weather cooperates, most students will be found outside.
“We have a big, beautiful backyard with hammocks, tetherball, soccer and so many things to do outside. It allows them to get those wiggles out, laugh, hang out and have fun,” Delph said. “I think it’s a favorite spot because there are multiple games going on out there and the kids are having a blast.”
Different age groups come on different days. Fifth and sixth graders meet between 3:45 and 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Middle school and high school students meet between 3:45 and 5:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, with the exception of high schoolers in the leadership program who come to assist the younger group.
Aside from the after-school program, there are other ways to get involved too.
“We have small group times such as G.I.R.L.S., a group of fifth through eighth grade young ladies who meet and do activities like sewing, crafting and baking. The After-Hours men’s group is for seventh through 12th grade, and they have food-eating competitions, game nights and more,” Delph said.
They have pancake breakfasts, summer camps, and this fall, the basketball leagues will begin again.
“We have about 350 young men participating in our basketball league, and last year, we started a girls league too. We plan to do that again and really rally around these girls and give them a good experience,” Delph said.
Student Impact serves roughly 775 students throughout the school year.
The hope is, with community connection and long-lasting friendships, the youth will grow into responsible, civic-minded adults.
“This is a big, dynamic group of students. We’re getting them connected with peers, mentors and staff to build a community that many students are missing in their lives,” Delph said. “We hope they will go out into the community with support, guidance, empowerment and confidence while they build their future.”
