Great Kids has been blessed to be able to make such an impact in the children we’ve served over the past 11 years. We measure the effectiveness of our program through the improved attitudes, behaviors, and academic improvements of our children. Success is also defined by the individual growth seen in children like Travon, Anna, and Jonathon.

Travon was a first grade student who started last year below grade level in reading and math. He was completely unmotivated to learn due to a lack of confidence. We soon noticed that he would not even attempt to read a book for fear of failure. Within a couple of months of attending Great Kids, Travon’s mother reported “He now enjoys going to school and learning new things because of the confidence he has gained from going to the Great Kids Program.” Our secret to success with Travon was to first work toward motivating him to WANT to learn by building his confidence in our Enrichment program and then we began teaching him HOW to learn with in our Tutorial Program. Giving a struggling child more time is the key to real change. Travon is now on grade level in both reading and math and his mother reported passing by his room catching him reading just for fun.

Anna joined Great Kids in September 2006. She was below grade-level and lacked the self-esteem to participate in activities and make friends. After 3 years with Great Kids, Anna’s personality and grades have improved drastically. She is now on grade level with some of the best FCAT scores we’ve seen this year and many new friends at Great Kids to encourage her to keep up the good work.

Jonathan’s biggest challenge was himself. He lacked the motivation and willingness to work hard. He was in danger of failing the 4th grade, and his mother was at her wits’ end. He ended up being moved to 5th grade even though he was still below grade level in reading. Jonathan returned to Great Kids for his 5th grade year, and there was little difference in his motivation. Midyear, something happened. His attitude started to change and he began actually trying to do well. His behavior, attitude, and effort changed for the better. He ended his fifth grade year on grade-level and earned a high 3 on his FCAT. When asked what helped him the most, he replied, “You didn’t give up on me.”