Boys and Girls Clubs announce fall afterschool sites

Boys and Girls Clubs in Lorain County will reopen this coming school year after a summer of financial uncertainty. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio, which operates clubs throughout Lorain County, announced its 10 free afterschool program sites for the 2025-26 school year. Programs start Sept. 2. In mid-July federal funding freezes left Boys and Girls Club programs on uncertain ground. On July 15, the clubs announced a federal funding freeze left $1.8 million in previously approved 21st Century Community Learning center grants in a lurch. Less than a week later, those funds were released. That included funds for after-school programs at several Lorain Schools elementary buildings. The 21st Century funding for Knollwood Elementary in Sheffield Lake ran out, so the after-school club will not reopen this school year. Other federal funds withheld by the U.S. Department of Education were released at the end of the month. The Lorain County after-school club sites will be: Elyria South, 1821 Middle Ave., Elyria Elyria Westwood, 42350 Adelbert St., Elyria Frank Jacinto Elementary, 2515 Marshall Ave., Lorain Garfield Elementary, 200 W. 31st St., Lorain. Garfield Elementary will also serve children from the Admiral King Elementary club. Larkmoor Elementary, 1201 Nebraska Ave., Lorain Palm Elementary, 2319 E. 34th St., Lorain Washington Elementary, 1025 W. 23rd St., Lorain Westview Terrace, 2218 W. 24th St., Lorain Vincent Elementary, 2303 N. Ridge Road, Sheffield Township. Vincent Elementary will also serve children from Clearview's Durling Middle School club. Wellington Westwood, 305 Union St., Wellington Club members at the Desich Family Campus in South Lorain will be temporarily relocated to Helen Steiner Rice Elementary, 4500 Tacoma Ave., through February due to construction. The project at the Pearl Avenue campus includes construction of a new lobby and renovations of the Club's main activity space and offices. The project is expected to cost about $2.8 million includes $175,000 in Lorain American Rescue Plan Act funds, $1 million from the state, $1 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds and $666,000 from Lorain County Community College. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.