TOLEDO, Ohio — West Toledo's McTigue Elementary is the first school to join the Boys & Girls Clubs' shared space program, serving sixth, seventh and eighth grade students.
The team-up puts the organization right inside the school, which brings opportunities directly to the young students, Gerri Peters, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo's director of programming, said.
Peters, who has over 30 years of experience in community and child care service, said she is excited to see the clubs continue to help families.
"There are lots of kids who don't have a safe place to go where they have ownership of their programming and ownership of what's going on, and I feel like we do that here with the Boys & Girls Clubs."
Students at McTigue are ready and hope the move means something positive for their school.
"I hope to see a lot of decorations, good music, no bullying, a lot of games, drinks and food," sixth-grade student Treyvon Hill said.
Toledo Public Schools superintendent Romules Durant said the new programs may also help to curve violence in the communities.
"It's a true win-win situation when you're allowing kids to have a safe haven within the schools and doing something constructive," Durant said. Tutoring, homework help, eating dinner and then truly engaging and socializing in a positive, constructive manner."
McTigue is the first of three TPS schools that the Boys & Girls Clubs plan to work in. Ottawa River Elementary and Rogers High School are also on the list, Peters said.
The Rogers program will begin in February and serve high school students only, she said.
The schools were chosen because of the high demand for after-school programming and the lack of space in other boys and girls clubs in the area.