SCHOOLS

After school program offers enrichments

Instructors for Enrichments365 pose at Miramar Ranch Elementary School, one of the schools now offering before and after school programming through Enrichments365. (courtesy photo)

After school program offers enrichments

With half days, spring break, parent teacher conferences and other holidays, many parents find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place for childcare.

Enrichments365 helps fill this need while providing exciting opportunities for students. Gail Faber, founder and manager of Enrichments365, started the programming as her own son wanted to play sports and she didn’t have the time to take him to different lessons every day of the week.

“I only had the weekends to take him to these classes and he wanted to learn how to play sports. Part of my inspiration was to build after school enrichments and give him something to do with his classmates as well as be able to benefit the parents and the school at the same time,” Faber said.

After finding success at her son’s school, Ellen Browning Scripps, Faber expanded Enrichments365 to Miramar Ranch Elementary School and Thurgood Marshall Middle School. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds are given directly back to each school.

Enrichments365 has more than 20 classes for students to attend both before and after school and on days that school is not in session. Enrichments include art, Bollywood dance, chess, computer classes, drama, guitar and yoga, to name a few.

“Our programming is offered in eight-, nine- and 10-week sessions. So, for a child to be able to try out an activity that they might not always try, then it really is a great opportunity for them. And, parents don’t have to break the bank. But, if their child doesn’t want to keep doing it, they can change to something else in the next session,” Faber said.

In its first session this school year, more than 400 students have already signed up for Enrichments365. Faber attributes this success to both the need for enrichments and her talented instructors who come from local businesses and Faber’s personal networking.

Hope Chu, a local parent, said her experience with the enrichments program has been wonderful.

“My first and third graders have been able to round out their education and growth with classes not offered during the traditional school day. They come home with new interests and knowledge about areas like multimedia, YouTube, photography, guitar, ukulele, robotics, 3D printing and coding,” Chu said in a testimony.

A unique aspect of Enrichments365 is the opportunity to send children to camps during the week of parent teacher conferences when the schools have half-days every day.

Faber said she does not see Enrichments365 as competing with day cares and manages schedules with after school care programs so students can attend. The cost of enrichments varies from class to class, but Enrichments365 does offer discounts for siblings attending the same class and paying with a credit card. For a full list of opportunities and more information on pricing, scheduling or to sign up a child for a session, visit enrichments365.com.