By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Chilton County Schools and the YMCA of Chilton County are partnering this school year to combine after-school programming efforts and serve more students.

The combined program is called Children County Children’s Club.

Lori Patterson of the YMCA said the organization’s after-school program has served Thorsby, Jemison and Clanton, while Rebecca Threlkeld’s Tiger Trails program had only served Clanton schools.

“It’s really taking the best of both of them and putting it together under one name,” Threlkeld said.

By combining efforts, the program has been expanded to offer an option for every kindergarten through sixth-grade student in Chilton County. Patterson said parents with elementary student in Verbena had been interested in the YMCA providing after-school programing, but space limitations made this impossible.

“I’m excited to be able to serve those areas that don’t have any after-school programing,” Patterson said.

Threlkeld said the program will also give students, whose parents may not have been able to transport them to an afternoon class, the opportunity to take classes at the YMCA.

“Everyone will be bused to Clanton Elementary, and then they can choose one of two pathways,” Patterson said.

Every child will have a snack and a meal, academics, fitness and enrichment activities, such as music, art or cooking.

“The programs will be very similar to what they were last year in both programs,” Threlkeld said.

In pathway one, students stay at CES and are dismissed at 5:30 p.m. Cost for this option is $70 per month.

Pathway two students will be bused to the YMCA for some of their enrichment activities or YMCA classes, such as soccer or baton. Students enrolled ion YMCA classes will be bused from CES to the YMCA at 4:15 p.m. Classes will be offered at the member rate.

“They have a full day planned, but they can also enroll in a specific program,” Patterson said.

Those not taking classes will be bused to the YMCA at 5:30 p.m. Students in this pathway will be dismissed from the YMCA between 5:45 and 6:30 p.m. Cost for this option is $85 per month.

“I’m looking forward to some of the children who have been just with having the opportunity to participate in some of the Y activities,” Threlkeld said.

To start the program on the first day of school, registration needs to be completed by the end of the day on Aug. 8. Space is limited in the program. Registrations after the first day of school will be accepted as space allows. Contact Patterson at 755-2382 or Threlkeld at 280-2730 to register. Additional information is available on the Chilton County Schools website chilton.k12.al.us.