Gloucester U comes to an end

For the past three years, the Gloucester U program has been an after-school learning experience for Gloucester High students interested in activities and clubs such as the Police Academy, E-Club, Anime Club, as well as many classes. Next year, however, the program will no longer be running.

The 21st Century Community Learning Center provided the grant for Gloucester U through the federal government distributed through the state of Massachusetts that funds all of the program’s different activities. The grant that was given to the Gloucester U program was a three year fully-funded grant that required re-application for a fourth year.

“In collaboration with the district and Gloucester U program administration, it was decided that it was not in the best interest of the program to go for the fourth year grant,” said GHS Librarian and Gloucester U program leader Samantha Whitney. “However there has been some discussion about some of the programs that Gloucester U has been able to support for three years that these programs could continue with other forms of support.”

Due to an escalating cost that the district would have to provide, it was decided that the program would not be able to continue for the fourth year.

“The district’s proposal was that if the grant was obtained for the fourth year,” continued Whitney, “the district would have to pay a significant cost that would escalate over time that the district feels cannot be sustained.”

According to Whitney, students that currently take part in the Gloucester U program can continue to participate in a “grass root format” of their class or club. This means that students interested in continuing their after-school activities would have to get together themselves without official teacher guidance.

“We have full faith that teachers who have been involved will continue to be guides to students who express an interest in learning opportunities outside of the school day,” said Whitney.

Many students are already feeling the loss of the program.

“I’m upset about it because it offered classes that students could use to broaden their horizons and use skills that they could possibly use in the future,” said junior Noelle Perry who participated in the vocal class. “I’m really mad.¨