School Age Care

School Age Care (SAC) is a curriculum-based recreational program open to children from kindergarten to age twelve.

The program operates after school hours until 6 pm, as well as full days during school breaks and vacations, and provides support for children’s success in school.

School age children are encouraged to participate in a variety of activities – art, reading, computers, cooking, yoga, indoor/outdoor physical activities – that stimulate positive peer interactions. During the summer, children go on regular field trips to beaches, parks, and local amusements, and they can join clubs focused on such activities as movie-making, fishing, craftwork, gardening, and dance.

Our program offers many learning opportunities, including the implementation of an evidence-based anti-violence/anti-bullying curriculum. Our dedicated and caring staff provides a structured and nurturing environment, licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Project Success

The only one of several 2000-01 state-wide pilot programs still in existence, this specialized program to provide therapeutic child care services is a component of School Age Care at Pathways. Its goals are to promote social skills and reduce challenging behaviors in children whose needs cannot currently be met in a traditional after-school program. Project Success provides structured recreational and educational activities in a safe, supportive child care environment, licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Within this environment, a strengths-based approach is used to modify behavior, model pro-social behaviors, and increase self-awareness in children.

The program’s high staff ratio allows children frequent opportunities to practice communication, problem solving, and coping skills for success in the program, at home, and in the community. Regular communication with families, schools, and other providers is crucial to  Project Success services.