Long Beach City College continues to launch programs that help break down barriers for students.
LBCC announces the new program “The Viking Club House” with Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach to help student parents have the option to enroll their school-aged children in free after-school programming while they attend their classes.
“Long Beach City wants to help students with their educational goals and help break down any barrier a student may have. This is just the beginning and we will continue to grow new programs to help our students,” said Tracy Carmichael the Chief Innovation officer.
The program is free for LBCC students and provides after-school care for children ages 6 to 18. The clubhouse is open Mondays through Fridays from 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.
There are two locations at either campus, one located on-site at the Liberal Arts Campus and the other location at the John C. & Alice Wallace Boys & Girls Club of Long Beach located one block from LBCC’s Pacific Coast Campus.
The program was envisioned by Dr. Mike Munoz in order to help student parents reach their educational goals as he himself was a student parent when he attended college.
“Long Beach City College continues to break the barriers that sometimes challenge our students from achieving their educational goals,” said LBCC Superintendent-President Mike Munoz.
“I reflect on my own personal experience as a single student parent working to get my degree and make a better life for myself and my daughter. I know firsthand the struggle to find affordable and dependable after-school care so I could attend evening classes or study groups as a community college student. This new service is simply a game changer for our student parents,” he added.
Currently, during the spring 2023 semester, there are 47 children enrolled in the clubhouse.
The club house is a safe place for children to learn and have multiple fun activities while their parents attend class. The activities provided for the children are homework help, arts and crafts, music lessons, STEM activities, outdoor play, sports and a hot meal.
Staff members provide individualized attention for the children to build their skill sets and really focus on working with the children one on one.
“Our goal is to make sure we encourage the students to try the different activities out and work with the students one on one on their interests,” said Amy Huynh, site coordinator for the Boys and Girls Club.
Many parents have given their feedback on how they feel after enrolling their children in the clubhouse. “LBCC has supported and lifted us up during very difficult times. Support given out at LBCC is next level” and “My child wants to attend college now and looks up to me.”
Amy shares that she is so delighted to hear all the positive feedback from the parents and that the clubhouse is able to provide an atmosphere where their kids see their parents go to classes and being in an academic setting encourages them to think about going to college one day.
The program has already demonstrated so much change and aid to all the student parents enrolled at LBCC. There is so much more to come for the Viking Club House and the college when it comes to creating new programs for students and continuing to break down any educational barriers they face.