Dated 7.29.2021
After over a year of remote learning and sheltering in place, kids in the Tenderloin have been enjoying a "No-Screen Summer" with the Tenderloin After-School Program (TASP)!
Open four days a week for summer, TASP has arranged outdoor learning activities and field trips on a sign-up basis while following San Francisco Department of Public Health guidelines. Activities have included local adventures to Fort Mason and Golden Gate Park, field trips to the Oakland Zoo and Muir Woods, and swimming lessons at the Phoenix Hotel pool with Tankproof!
Summer programming has been a way for more kids to have equitable access to the many fun and explorative activities the Bay Area has to offer, and a welcome change after a very challenging year of remote learning.
Due to systemic racism and the resulting inequities in wealth and housing, many Black and Brown families have faced additional barriers to their well-being and learning during the pandemic. Kids often had to navigate remote learning without stable internet or a quiet place to focus on studying at home.
Rebecca Carrillo Steinrueck, TASP Manager, shared the story of a participant who faced such access issues and joined TASP's Community Learning Hub—part of the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families' Community Hub Initiative. The participant initially struggled to understand his Zoom class schedule and online assignments, often causing him to feel frustrated and disconnected. Through his diligence and the patient efforts of TASP staff, he slowly started to understand the rhythm of the program and his own distance learning schedule. Over time we discovered his talent for math, especially when he could use paper and pencil—not a screen—and learned that he loved to help with activities!
With time and effort, this participant began to attend full days of classes and slowly opened up to the staff and participants in the hub. By the end of the school year, he was able to independently sign into class, ask for help when needed, and made several new friends! He is now attending TASP’s summer programming!
As we see with this story, when kids and their families have access to essential resources and community support, they're able to grow and thrive in countless ways.
The TNDC Tenderloin After-School Program (TASP) supports kids living in the Tenderloin dreaming of their future! The TASP team serves over 200 kids ages 7-18 six days a week, Monday through Saturday. TASP is a drop-in program open to all.
