CHARLESTON, WV — Gov. Jim Justice delivered a $500,000 check on Oct 2nd, to the Bob Burdette Center to support the expansion of its afterschool program, as it launches a new two-year pilot initiative focused on improving tutoring access for at-risk students in Kanawha County.

The pilot program will serve two schools on Charleston’s West Side, Mary C. Snow Elementary and Edgewood Elementary, both located in economically disadvantaged areas. The program’s certified teachers will provide one-on-one tutoring to help students improve their math and reading skills.

The new initiative will complement the existing school-day support provided by the Communities In Schools West Virginia program, which is already integrated into the curriculum at Mary C. Snow Elementary.

“Our kids truly mean the world to me and deserve the best of the best,” Gov. Justice said. “This new program is going to bring in great teachers who provide the support these kids need to succeed. I’ve said it time and time again that investing in our children and their future is the most important thing we can do. Cathy and I are so happy to see the success of Communities In Schools, and for it to influence this afterschool program at the Bob Burdette Center is amazing. The folks here are doing God’s work, and we couldn’t be more thankful. Our kids are real winners and worth every penny of this money.”

The Bob Burdette Center, recognized as one of the top-performing after school programs in West Virginia, specializes in a holistic “whole family” approach to educational support for kindergarten through fifth-grade students. This new program aims to give children a solid foundation in core subjects, ultimately preparing them for future success.

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