Pictured above: Staff members from Vancouver and Evergreen public schools and the Vancouver Police Activities League were honored with a Collaboration Award by the Nonprofit Network of Southwest Washington in September 2017.

After-school programs expand opportunities for students

Vancouver Public Schools, the Vancouver Police Activities League and Evergreen Public Schools recently were recognized with a 2017 Collaboration Award from the Nonprofit Network of Southwest Washington. The organizations have joined forces to bring after-school soccer and basketball programs to both school districts. In the 2016-17 school year, programs were offered at six Vancouver elementaries: King, Fruit Valley, Harney, Anderson, Lincoln and Hough. This year, the program is expected to grow to include additional schools.

Eddie Esparza, an educational advocate at King Elementary, has worked with fellow advocate Anthony Kay, teacher Dinah Nguyen and the Police Activities League to bring the programs to VPS. Said Esparza, “It’s been very rewarding to see how the sports programs have grown to support so many students in both Evergreen and Vancouver public schools.”

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