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Poughkeepsie City School District

Together, We are Champions for Children in Poughkeepsie City Schools

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  2. Lights Initiative

Lights Initiative

A bright orange poster with a white sun and the text 'Saturday Morning Lights' in bold white letters.The Lights Initiative was developed as a partnership between dedicated staff and community members to provide Poughkeepsie City School District youth with an extended learning environment where they can develop positively as youth. Each of the three Lights programs feature instruction in specific areas, from art and music to cooking and technology, facilitated by community business organizations. And, all are free to PCSD students.

"The Lights Initiative began as a school and community response to the uptick of violence in the City of Poughkeepsie on the weekends. We wanted to offer the children a safe space to learn, socialize and just be a kid outside the school day,” Natasha Brown, Executive Director of Community schools, said. “Together with a team of volunteers who included Gully Stanford, James Watson, Tamoya Norwood, Gabriella Fryer, Debra Long, Matthew Tether, Mary Ellen Iatropoulos from the Art Effect, Pool Manager Galen Franchek and PMS teachers Julie Hayen and Jennifer Burke we started hosting Friday Night Lights at PMS.”

Friday Night Lights is held each Friday at Poughkeepsie Middle School for grades 5-9, beginning with dinner offered from 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. It’s followed by  two-and-a-half hours of fun facilitated by Community Schools staff, community partners, teachers aides and middle school social-emotional learning, or SEL, teachers. Each session ends at 7 p.m. to coincide with the county bus schedule.

Saturday Morning Lights provides students in grades K-8 and their families the opportunity to engage in academic enrichment, positive youth development and family bonding experiences every Saturday morning at Poughkeepsie Middle School. Breakfast is served at 8 a.m., followed by activities from 9 a.m. to noon. Lunch is also served.

Bright Lights is a summer camp program held at Poughkeepsie Middle School for students in grades K-8. Like the other lights programs, community partners and staff administer targeted enrichment programs in a wide array of areas like cooking, music, robotics, music, dance, basketball, swimming, soccer, performing arts and others. The program runs for six weeks, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Breakfast and lunch is provided.