In 1999 Dan Bentley moved into the Westfield community, intent on planting a new church. When that didn’t work as planned, Bentley began asking the community what they needed.
What was missing?
That simple question led to a youth program that has been thriving for 25 years.
Student Impact is an after-school program and has become a home away from home for those students who would otherwise head home alone.
“We focus on three different groups,” said Executive Director Brittany Delph. “We have roughly 37% of our students experiencing adverse trauma at home. Here they can build authentic relationships, and we know what they are experiencing at home and we can help them with that. Maybe that’s connecting them with resources or addressing these circumstances quickly because we’re with them so often.”
The second group includes those students who would otherwise go home without adult supervision.
“We want to be a better alternative to that,” Delph said. “Fifth- and sixth-graders walking into a house alone often get lonely, they are bored and they’re more likely to get into trouble. The third group is leadership development.”
Through their leadership program and junior leadership program, the staff at Student Impact is training older students to mentor younger ones, lead classes and build lasting relationships.
Different age groups come on different days. Fifth- and sixth-graders meet between 3:45 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Middle school and high school students meet between 3:45 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays.
“The only exception is for our high schoolers who are participating as mentors,” Delph said. “They come in on Mondays and Thursdays to serve the younger students. They are serving meals, getting the games underway, and if they see a student not plugged in, they come over and bridge that gap between the newcomer and the ones who have been here for a while.”
Not only are they connecting and building relationships, but students are also having fun.
“We serve a hot meal with fresh fruits and vegetables, and we have indoor games and a cafe to hang out in, an art room, dining space and a podcast studio,” Delph said. “We also do all sorts of things outside from soccer to volleyball.”
In addition, Student Impact hosts special 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 eating competitions, gaming nights and March Madness drafts.
“One of our new initiatives under the umbrella of our leadership program is a podcast that focuses on sharing voices of impact,” Delph said. “You hear a story and realize you’ve experienced the same thing. We’re bridging gaps and giving students the opportunity to talk about their experiences. In the meantime they’re learning how to produce the podcast, taking photos, and editing those while posting on our Facebook and Instagram.”
Student Impact had 752 students check in at the organization in the 2023-2024 school year.
It’s clear that the work staff and volunteers are doing is successful and they are meeting their goals.
“This is a big, dynamic group of students,” Delph said. “We’re getting them connected with peers, mentors and staff to build a community that students are missing in their lives. We hope they will go out into the community with support, guidance, empowerment and confidence while they build their future.”
With the exception of Student Impact summer camps and basketball leagues, the programs offered to students are free.
