Forest Ranch Charter School

Forest Ranch Charter School After School Program

At Forest Ranch Charter School, what happens after school is just as vital to student engagement and learning as what happens during school. Snuggled in the terminus of the Cascade Mountain Range, just a short drive out of Chico, CA, Forest Ranch Charter is the educational gem of a woodsy hamlet with about 2,000 residents. It is the academic home of 130 students from transitional kindergarten to eighth grade, students with a diverse range of learning needs from gifted and talented to special education. Half of its student body rides a free bus from Chico to attend school each day.

Founded in 2008 after the closing of Forest Ranch’s public school, the charter offers personalized instruction, an emphasis on environmental studies, and the bonus of a thriving afterschool program. School Director Christia Marasco says this charter school is about “balance and engagement, committed to best practices in academic instruction and making sure we’re meeting the needs of every student.”

The after-school program is a continuum of daily learning activities, but it’s here that children enjoy the freedom of making choices, trying new things, and exploring in a safe environment. Christia says, “Learning is hard work and after school is an important time to let loose a little bit. Children need free time to play and explore what they’re interested in. Our after-school activities are based on fun and friendliness while learning something new.”

So, what happens after school at Forest Ranch?

On any given day, from 15 to 45 students participate in the Homework Club, Afternoon Explorer’s Club, Afterschool Sports, or the Elevation Station Makerspace. A small fee is charged for some of the activities, but Forest Ranch Charter offers a scholarship opportunity to allow all children a chance to try an activity.

Homework Club

Homework Club participation is free, and students in third grade and up have a quiet place to tackle their homework, with assistance available as needed. It gives them a chance to wrap up the school day so they can spend time with family when they return home. “The main goal of the Homework Club is to instill good work habits, organizational skills, and a sense of accomplishment in every student,” says school secretary and Makerspace leader Christy Howell.

The Afternoon Explorer’s Club

The Afternoon Explorer’s Club is popular with kids, giving them time to play with friends. They may explore outside in nature, work together to build a fort, and enjoy some structured activities, many of which are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) or art-focused.

Afterschool Sports

Afterschool Sports give students of all ages a chance to stretch and test their athletic abilities. Led by a teacher/coach, baseball and volleyball are the most popular, but hockey and soccer also attract many students. Baseball is a true team experience with a balance of younger and older students on each team playing together for the love of the game. Christia has also been known to lead a cross-country activity and runners love going beyond the pavement to loop around on the trails adjacent to the school.

The Elevation Station Makerspace

The Elevation Station Makerspace offers wildly popular activities eight times a year. It gives kids the space, tools, and supplies to get creative and flex their imaginations. Equipped with a 3-D printer, sewing machines, and a kiln, Makerspace encourages working with clay, sewing, beading, making jewelry, and a little basic woodworking. Each Makerspace session has a unique focus such as upcycling or ornament making. Students can choose to do any of the projects offered or develop a project of their own design. At the Elevation Station, there are only two rules: finish what you start, and clean up what you finish.

Fifth-grader Ruby is especially enamored of Makerspace and proud of the wire-wrapped rock necklace she made there. She also appreciates the Homework Club and is gaining confidence through sports. Ruby says, “I like Homework Club because I don’t have to do homework at home. In Makerspace or Sports, I have something to do. I’ve never been really good at volleyball. Now, I’m actually pretty good!”

Ruby’s working mom Jody sees the afterschool program as “an extension of the school culture that is focused on each individual child’s needs.” She says, “Not only is Ruby taken care of, but she’s allowed to experience new activities, to flourish creatively. The first time I picked my daughter up from the program, she was outside building a fort with other children having the best time! Her first Makerspace involved building a robot and making her own jewelry. These are things she may not have known she enjoyed until then. The freedom to express herself in the after-school program is just another one of the many reasons I love Forest Ranch Charter School.”

Kids at Forest Ranch are developing new skills, practicing being part of a team, and staying physically active with afterschool activities. By middle school, they can also join the Robotics Club and pursue student government and leadership projects such as this year’s student-run coffee cart. That project is teaching the team how business works, learning everything from customer service to profit and loss. But what is most remarkable about the afterschool program? Kids are eagerly facing new challenges and having a blast after school!

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