GREENVILLE, TEX.—On Thursday, Oct. 9^th, Greenville ISD ACE Program Project Director, Johanna Friedel, spoke to the masses on the steps of the Landmark on Lee Street in downtown Greenville. In her speech, Friedel highlighted some of the achievements of the ACE afterschool program and where the program is headed. The event was the brainchild of Family Engagement Specialist Amber Pompa as a way to bring awareness of the importance of out-of-school time programming for the Greenville Community. The “Lights On! For Out of School Time Programs” Open House took place on Thursday, Oct. 23^rd, from 4-6 p.m. on all ACE campuses to celebrate the national event and tout the program’s accomplishments.

Friedel is the Project Director for the ACE program at Greenville ISD and worked last year with the National Technical Working Group for the United States Department of Education and this year The State Communication Networks. She has presented nationally and state-wide on topics relating to out-of-school time programming.  She was recently invited to present at the National Conference in Orlando, Florida in February on “How Selfies, Skitch and Other Observational Protocols Can Support the Evaluation Process.” 

Greenville ISD ACE Out-of-School Time Program is funded by the Federal 21st Century Grant, monitored by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) with Greenville ISD acting as the fiscal agent. The goals of the grant are to increase student attendance, academics, pro-social behaviors, promotion and graduation rates. Friedel says that is accomplished by “creating enrichment, academic, career and college readiness and parent involvement activities through collaboration with families, community, and school district.”

ACE provides students with one-of-a-kind experiences and opportunities with a strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) focus. Some of the programs ACE offers are Cinematography with Lamar Elementary Site Coordinator Tim Vangeloff; Photography; Tool Time with Crockett Elementary Site Coordinator Chris Burden;  Tutoring; Dance, which has won two consecutive awards for the 6th Grade Center and Site Coordinator Chris James;  Project Wild; Building/Engineering; STEM Virtual Mentorships; NJROTC Mentorship Program; Robotics; STEM with Ameer Ali, Travis Elementary site coordinator; Claymation, created with the help from the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Texas; and ACE Space Program.

ACE also works in close conjunction with the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Texas and the Greenville YMCA on such programs as Smart Girls and Passport To Manhood, and Soccer Camps. Parents get in on the action too, by helping to shape the pro-social program Skillstreaming through parent surveys which identify the social skills students are most in need of learning.

The ACE program has won a myriad of achievements and awards. Most recently, the ACE Space program earned recognition from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and two Golden ACE awards for Most Innovative Activity for Career and College Readiness, and Academic Achievement from TEA. The ACE program has won a total of 5 state awards in the last two years.

“Our ACE Activity Engagement Aides and Specialists are amazing,” said Friedel. “They train during the summer and school year in order to bring intentionally designed activities to our students.

Site Coordinators at all seven campuses run the 3-hour program and are leaders in what they do. The curriculum from Greenville Middle School Site Coordinator Eric Norris’s Angry Birds activity was showcased at a National Convention last year. Michael Nelson, Greenville High School site coordinator, is set to have his program studied by two entities this year to help others create effective High School programs. The Virtual Mentorship concept for the 6th Grade Center, established by Chris James and Johanna Friedel, has been sent on to the USDE as an innovative strategy to connect Career and College Mentors with students.

Not only are aides employed to work the ACE program, full-time teachers in the district work with the program too.

“Our teachers put in long days and then come to our Out-of-School Time programs to work with our students,” said Friedel. “Last year, for example, through the hard work of Travis ACE teacher tutors, the 5th grade students improved in Math by 50% and in Reading 25%.”

The “Lights On! For Out of School Time Programs” celebration included a video featuring GISD students, staff and parents promoting and recognizing the program. The video will be available on the GISD website, greenvilleisd.com, in November.

For more information on the ACE program, contact Johanna Friedel at friedelj@greenvilleisd.com