Days Available: Monday – Friday, 3:45 PM to 5 PM
 
Contact: Donna Jackson, Program Director
 
Phone: (706) 937-5437
 
Website: www.pawsandclawsafterschool.org
 
Program Description:
 
The Paws & Claws afterschool program serves about 450 students yearly in northwest Georgia’s Catoosa County. The program, primarily funded by a 21st Century Community learning Centers grant, prides itself on extending learning opportunities for students and parents in two school sites through varied enrichment programming.
 
Paws & Claws participants meet with staff to talk about their interests. Staff members also meet with participants’ teachers in the schools to determine student needs. Young people then enroll in 10 of over 40 themed program options and develop a weekly schedule of afterschool activities. According to program manager Donna Jackson, program staff works to create program options that appeal to kids—and look
and feel different from school-day learning. “We try to infuse fun into all of the activities,” she explains. “We also try to pick up on arts and movement—which tend to be more restricted in the school day.”
 
The Paws & Claws program menu includes options such as “Math Monkeys,” “Silly Science,” “Green Thumbs” and “Music Makers.” Parents also get involved in the program through required participation in at least one of the workshops hosted by program staff. Workshops cover topics identified by parents, such as homework, nutrition and family literacy.
 
For more information please visit, www.pawsandclawsafterschool.org.