Sleepy Hollow Middle School After School Program

FSW’s after school program at Sleepy Hollow Middle School provides opportunities and experiences to enhance participating students’ academic performance, social-emotional well-being and personal growth, including those with special needs.

The program offers the following opportunities for participating students:

• Access to homework help and assistance with research projects in the Learning Lab
• Tools to help them identify personal strengths and interests and explore them possible future careers in Future U
• Ways to identify issues they are concerned about in their community, explore what they can do as middle-schoolers to address these issues and then engage in community service projects of their choosing, while encouraging parental participation as well
• An emphasis on establishing and strengthening communication, anger management, conflict resolution and other life skills
• Participation in single-sex peer groups to discuss relationships, making healthy choices, bullying and other issues

An important aspect of the program is that both parents and youth are involved in program design and delivery. This includes representation on the Advisory Board, participation in planning and implementing community services projects, identifying issues of concern and program evaluation.

Issues regarding adolescent health and wellness are addressed both directly, in single-gender groups within the context of healthy relationships, and indirectly, in Future U sessions. Future U aims to focus youth on their personal goals and guide them as they begin to consider future career interests that reflect their personal strengths and interests.

Since 2014, the Sleepy Hollow Middle School After School Program has been funded by a grant from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS).