J-Crew After-School Program

As our longest running program, the J-Crew After-School Program has expanded and developed into an intensive and comprehensive academic tutoring and social mentoring after-school program serving more than 175 K-12 students attending both public and, with our scholarship program, private schools in city of Harrisburg. Every week, Monday through Thursday from 3–5:00 p.m., students work with tutors and mentors on homework assignments and school projects; work to close educational gaps in reading and math using academic remediation software; participate in educational enrichment activities; prep for SAT/ACT tests; learn social skills to help youth growing up amidst poverty and violence stay on the graduation track; and set academic and social goals.

The J-Crew After-School Program seeks to help students increase school engagement and attendance, reduce behavioral referrals, and increase academic achievement levels to enable students to avoid grade retention and to successfully graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education or vocational training.

We hire high school students and Joshua graduates who live and go to school in the city as student tutors. They are excellent tutors and mentors because they have been successful in school in spite of living through the same difficult and challenging circumstances our Joshua students face. They help us deliver the message that education is the doorway to freedom.

Our after-school program collaborates with other community-based organizations that serve city students to provide a more enriched curriculum including: State Street Academy (music classes); TE Connectivity STEM sessions; and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, which allows students to receive a free nutritious dinner each day.

J-Crew program success 

  • Every week more than 175 under-served youth from city schools participated regularly and voluntarily in our J-Crew After-School Program, which offered intensive academic tutoring and social mentoring. These students were engaged in positive activities focused on education rather than becoming one of the negative Allison Hill statistics.

  • Joshua Group students achieved a 97% promotion/graduation rate.

  • A 95% or better attendance record was achieved by 92% of the Joshua Group students.

  • Over 85% of Joshua Group's K-12 students earned a 2.0 or better GPA.

  • K-12 students utilizing the remediation Academy for Math and Reading software improved on average 1.3 grade levels in math and 1.7 grade levels in reading.

AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM Handbook

After-school Program 2022-2023 Calendar

For more information about the J-Crew After-School Program,

please call the Joshua Learning Center at 717-972-0129