2023 Report

Impact Report 2022-2023

RCLC Youth Programs

More than 100 youth, grades 1-12, participated in RCLC Youth Development Programs during 2022-23. Fifty children were enrolled in the afterschool program, receiving an hour of tutoring each day from 100 college student volunteers, followed by enrichment activities including makerspace activities and drama integration. More than half of the students enrolled demonstrated a 25% pre-post gain on the SCOUT Achieve Literacy Assessment. An additional 15 middle and high school students participated in evening tutoring. 25% of RCLC youth were enrolled in multiple programs, including multiple evening clubs, such as Lego Robotics and Podcasting.

When the pandemic closed everything down in spring of 2020, there was a group of RCLC middle and high school students that were preparing to go to New York City for the annual MyAmerica Trip. Three years later, the MyAmerica program was back, and those young people were specifically invited to participate. The semester-long program culminated with the long-delayed trip toNYC, attended by 14 youth participants. The young people reported that their visits to Ellis Island and the 9/11 Museum were particularly impactful. (They also enjoyed Times Square).

Robinson Shakespeare Company

During the academic year, the Robinson Shakespeare Company (RSC) served 30 youth, grades 3-12, divided into younger and older companies, that rehearsed weekly in the RCLC Black Box Theatre. The RSC performed a winter recital of scenes and monologues to a

standing-room-only crowd of more than 100, and, in the spring, performed two productions of King Lear. Nineteen youth, grades 4-12, participated in the RSC Summer Camp, which culminated in a performance of Merry Wives of Windsor for an audience of 75 friends and family members. Those students also had the opportunity to perform

scenes at the Community Foundation’s Summer Performing Arts Series. Drama integration instruction was offered weekly to 400 youth weekly during the academic year at the following sites: Nuner Fine Arts Academy, Jefferson Middle School, the Harrison School Boys & Girls Club, the Notre Dame Center for Civic Innovation and RCLC.

Preschool

A total of 31 children, ages 3-5 years, attended the RCLC Preschool during the 2022-23 school year as well as in the summer. The preschool served families from Bahrain, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Malawi, Myanmar, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Sudan, Venezuela, Mexico, and Japan. The preschool used the HighScope Preschool Curriculum. English language/literacy skills, such as phonemic awareness, writing, and alphabet recognition were integrated into the daily schedule. Families took monthly field trips to places such as the South Bend Civic Theatre and the Children’s Museum. LEAP (literacy exploration in action) packets with books and activities were sent home with families every weekend. After nine months of preschool, children demonstrated an average growth of 16 months in language development as assessed by the Peabody Test of Receptive Language Skills.

Programs for Senior Adults

Programs for senior adults continue to thrive. Monthly Lunch and Learn Lectures had an average attendance of 40, and two book clubs, a computer class, a quilting class, and a retired women’s group met regularly at the center throughout the year. RCLC seniors attended multiple events at Kelly Park during the summer, including concerts by the Music Village and the Back to School Picnic. The Back the Bend Day bus tour was also a huge hit, with visits to the Grotto, the Basilica, and United Way’s 1Roof Southeast Facility.