THE CURRENT OPERATION

What's Goin' On?

The Passport program began afterschool operation on November 10th, 2008, after a preparation period. Passport currently serves 21 children at Pointe South Middle School, providing homework assistance, mentoring, tutoring, enrichment, and internship, volunteer, and apprenticeship opportunities, and well as state-wide, national, and international travel and service opportunities. The program is a collaboration between the Clayton County public school system, the Department of Human Resources, local businesses and organizations, local leaders, and local schools, and benefits the Atlanta area.

Our Motto:

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends."
-Maya Angelou

Our Mission:

The mission of The Passport Program is to cultivate young citizens who are in tune with their community and the world around them. Citizens who understand that through new experiences they have opportunities to learn and change their lives, and subsequently the world.

The Nuts and Bolts

So, at this point you are likely wondering how we achieve our mission and live out our motto.

Please read on!

The Passport Program operates from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday on all in-session school days. Participants are provided with a snack at each session that meets USDA nutritional snack guidelines. The Passport Program strives to create a symbiotic relationship with parents, community officials, school staff (especially the graduation coach), local businesses, and local organizations. This relationship is accomplished through advisory councils, community service events, and appreciation events comprised of the above listed parties.

The Passport Program engages students and their families in a number of activities that are age, gender, and race appropriate. At the beginning of each semester activity The Passport Program has a planning dinner, where parents and students are given the topic, subject, timeline, and goal of the upcoming program activity, and are then responsible for identifying vested parties, needed positions, and a rough outline to achieve successful implementation of that activity.

Program Background

The Passport Afterschool Program is a new innovative Afterschool Program working with middle school students in Clayton County. Funded by a grant from the Department of Human Resources awarded in October 2008, The Passport Program started in November 2008 and began serving sixteen students at Pointe South Middle School. The program grew over the following weeks and days and currently serves twenty-one students at Pointe South Middle School. Currently the only Afterschool Program for middle school students in Clayton County, this dynamic program seeks to help young people understand that one person can make a difference and have a positive lasting effect on the world.

Current Program

The Passport Program puts an emphasis on helping young people to become global citizens who are in tuned with their communities. The Passport Program achieves this goal through character education, language programming, environmental awareness, community involvement, fine arts education, volunteer service, apprenticeship programming, and state-wide, national and international travel opportunities. The pilot program operates at Pointe South Middle School in Clayton County where we serve vibrant students age 12-14. The program seeks, among other things, to help young people to become proficient in a foreign language and travel to foreign countries where they can provide service to others. We realize that experiences like these will increase the confidence of young people and help them to recognize their true potential.

The Future of the Passport Program The Passport Program intends to expand to serve all of the middle schools in Clayton County, helping the youth of Clayton County to become global citizens. We intend to begin this expansion during the 2009-2010 school year. We want to be able to offer the program to young people all across Clayton County, and grow to touch the lives of many.