LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Lexington Public Library and YMCA of Central Kentucky have partnered to create the NTI Learning Lab for Cardinal Valley students.
"This was a great way to open our doors to families where the need is a little greater than other parts of town," said Kelli Parmley, outreach services manager for the Lexington Public Library.
The Lab provides homework help to students. Activities and games are also built into the program to help kids get some social interaction they've been missing with remote learning.
The program has been operating for a week now and Jessica Berry, vice president of mission advancement for the YMCA of Central Kentucky, said she is already seeing kids respond positively to the social-emotional learning activities.
"Our kiddos were very engaged and listening and really engaged in what they were doing," Berry said.
The lab runs from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Spanish and French translators are available for students.
At the end of the day, they receive a take-home meal, provided by God's Pantry.
The library said it abides by all COVID-19 protocols including social distancing, frequent sanitization, and mask-wearing.
The program is set to run for nine more weeks and will be reevaluated on needs and the plans of the Fayette County Public Schools for the spring semester.
The entire program is free and The Lexington Library Foundation is currently funding the project. It is seeking private funding sources to be able to continue and expand. You can donate here.
The YMCA is also seeking funding so it can expand learning labs with other organizations as well. You can donate here.
Both the YMCA and Lexington Public Libraries plan to expand their academic programs in the future. More details on this are forthcoming.
