Project Grow is Adopt-A-Family’s afterschool/summer program for at-risk elementary school students. Project Grow aims to reverse the debilitating effects of homelessness and poverty through a holistic approach centering on four core areas: academic support, emotional development, parental engagement, and life-enriching experiences.
Academic lessons complement the public school curriculum, often using hands-on experiential learning as reinforcement. The program provides one-on-one tutoring, promotes parental involvement, and offers free on-site mental health services to help students overcome trauma and behavioral issues. Project Grow also includes STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) activities, academic advising, life-enriching field trips, and recreation on the agency’s turf field and playground.
The program can serve up to 57 students in kindergarten through 5th grade. During the 2021-22 school year, 98% of the students were successfully promoted to the next grade level. In addition, 88% of the students’ parents increased their involvement in their children’s education by participating in academic advising sessions.
In 2021, Adopt-A-Family hired Geo Education & Research (Geo) to conduct a thorough evaluation of Project’s Grow’s data and outcomes. After securing a Data Sharing Agreement with the School District of Palm Beach County, Geo released the Project Grow Progress Report in January 2023. The study determined that the program has a measurable positive impact on the grades and test scores of current Project Grow students. In addition, the report found that the high school graduation rate of Project Grow students was 4.4 percentage points higher than the district-wide graduation rate (based on students served between 2007-2008).
Read the full report here: AAF Project Grow Student Progress Report 2023