Creating Rural Opportunities Partnership (C.R.O.P.)
Creating Rural Opportunities Partnership (CROP)- Copied from CROP Website: Link
About CROP
The Creating Rural Opportunities Partnership (CROP) After School and Summer Program is a consortium of fourteen rural upstate school districts, including Andes, Charlotte Valley, Gilboa-Conesville, Hunter-Tannersville, Jefferson, Laurens, Margaretville, Milford, Morris, Roxbury, South Kortright, Stamford, Windham-Ashland-Jewett and Worcester.
All fourteen schools are funded as the result of two successful grant applications for the federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. The grant awards are scheduled to run for five years, however continued funding is contingent on federal budget approval.
CROP’s mission is to grow citizens who contribute positively to their communities.
We provide the following in a safe and supportive after school and summer environment:
Academic Support: Encouraging students to succeed academically through tutoring support, activities linked to school day learning and Math, ELA and STEM Programming.
Youth Development: Helping students grow into positive citizens through enrichment such as community based service learning, arts, clubs, technology, nutrition classes, field trips, recreation and games and visits from community organizations.
Family Engagement: Connecting families to their child's education through family nights and workshops and providing links to other helpful community supports.
Vision of Program Partners
Roxbury Central School District (RCS) and Morris Central School District (MCS) act as the Local Educational Agencies for the CROP programs. In addition to the fourteen partnered school districts, CROP has established two levels of partners – major partners and community resource partners.
Major partners play a significant role in programming and have been extensively involved in the success of CROP’s 21st Century Community Learning Center project thus far. CROP's major partners include the Farmers' Museum and Fenimore Art Museum, and Hanford Mills Museum who provide academic enrichment sessions; the Schoharie County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (SCCASA), Leatherstocking Education on Alcoholism/Addictions Foundation (LEAF), and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council of Delaware County (ADAC) who provide life skills, drug and alcohol awareness, parenting, and character education programs; the Roxbury Arts Group (RAG) and Community Arts Network of Oneonta (CANO), who provides arts and cultural programming, Otsego County Girls on the Run (GOTR) and Hawk Circle Wilderness Education. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County provides cooking and nutrition classes for both students and parents; and the Greater Roxbury Learning Initial Corporation (GRLIC) provides technology classes to CROP parents.
The Community Resource Partners are a wide variety of community organizations identified within the individual CROP communities. These partners have pledged to provide service or programs to CROP students. Some examples of support include: volunteerism by Rotary Clubs, read-aloud program at libraries, Parent Teacher Associations, scout troops, community action organizations, church groups, local businesses, retirement homes, etc. Anyone who wants to make a difference in the community and support their school as a 21st Century Community Learning Center can become a Community Resource Partner.
Evaluator Summary 2019-20
The CROP Programs offer a large variety of engaging lessons and activities that help students increase academic achievement and develop skills of social and personal responsibility while improving emotional well-being.
Students report satisfaction with CROP programming:
90% (Morris) and 97% (Roxbury) of students reported finding CROP activities interesting
Over 94% in Morris and over 95% in Roxbury tried at least two new things during the year
Parents also felt CROP was beneficial to their students:
100% of parents in Morris felt that CROP provided a safe environment for their child.
Most parents felt that CROP helped their students do better in school (93% Morris and 91% Roxbury)
87% (Morris) and 89% (Roxbury) of parents saw an improvement in their students’ grades'
CROP participants also saw an increase in academic performance:
Teachers state they saw slight, moderate or significant increase in 60% of CROP students (Morris) and 64% (Roxbury).
The Evaluation Team of Bluepoint Consulting concludes with certainty that despite the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, CROP programming had a discernable and measurable positive impact on the academic and social performance of CROP participants.
Fall 2020 CROP Newsletter - The Harvester.pdf
The 4 Schools SCCASA works with for CROP are:
