WS Chronicle

A local agency dedicated to providing educational alternatives for teenagers who don’t have a place to go after school is looking for the public’s help with funding.

The Guiding Institute for Developmental Education Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “enhance the life-long learning, character building capacity for under-served youth and their families.”

The agency is holding a fundraiser, titled “One Enchanted Evening,” a romantic dinner and dance, with proceeds going to the program’s summer initiative.

“We are very excited about the event. We have some of the best performers in the region and nation,” McClain said.

The event will include music from Martha Bass, Chris Murrell and The Phase Band.

The organization serves roughly 200 middle and high school students with target areas that include public housing and low-income housing communities.

Most of the families are residents in the Cleveland Avenue Homes, Townview Apartments, Rolling Hills Apartments and surrounding communities. The agency teaches the following values: reliability, learning, inclusiveness, integrity and leadership.

The agency serves students and their parents with the use of S.T.E.M. ( Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) curriculum and literacy-based instructional tools and methodology. The after-school program does this through arts education, youth sports, family literacy, health education and character building programs.

“Across the state, funds have been cut for community-based after-school programs because of the funds being forwarded to the school system,” he said.

Board chair Ward Miller said that helping these children is a way for the agency to give back to the community.

“We have a lot of kids who sometimes don’t get what they need during the regular school hours and they need some additional help after school. We are there to fill that void,” he said.

The program is modeled after the 21st Century Community Learning Centers of North Carolina, according to its website. The CCLC program, funded by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, funded GIDE for four years beginning in 2010. The grant provided the organization with $384,000 a year for four years reducing funding in the last two years, 20 percent and 40 percent respectively. That money ran out last year.

“We had some local funds, held some fundraisers, and had some individuals that made some contributions. We’ve recently received $150,000 from the Piedmont Federal Savings Bank to be distributed over three years, $50,000 a year,” he said. “We also received $20,000 from Goodwill through the Gang Prevention and Dropout Prevention program.”

The agency is also sponsored by The Rotary Club of Clemmons and The New Canaan Society.

McClain said that the agency still needs more.

“We are trying to raise money so that we can have a summer program.

We’ve got funds to last us to the end of the school year but are trying to raise funds to hold the summer program,” he said.

McClain said that the results are worth every penny.

The organization keeps the kids busy and out of trouble, while giving them a chance to get one-on-one tutoring or help on a specific subject.

“We’ve got kids who have been through our program who are now in college or in law school,” he said. “They (the kids) look forward to the program because it provides some assistance for them. Some of our kids parents aren’t able to help them with their Algebra and higher courses. We have teachers to help them.”

The event will be held at the Village Inn and Event Center’s Crystal Ballroom in Clemmons on Friday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $100 per couple with $50 as a tax deduction.

Miller said that he hopes the agency can continue the event.

“We hope that this can be a signature event for us to raise funds and raise awareness in the community about us,” he said.

For tickets or more information, call 336-602-0565 or 336-254-1116 or email bill.tcewp@gmail.com or tamarampatterson@yahoo.com.