Monday through Friday from 3pm-6pm
During the School Year

Thanks to help from various RiverBend area businesses and organizations, the Center is offering an exciting afterschool program for the fourth year in a row. Just $5 gets you into the Center after school. We have video games and game tables, as well as special events, activities, and our Teen Library. Students can come and relax from a hard day of learning, or get extra help on school work. Hayner Library staffs the Teen Library every Wednesday* and provides a quiet place to read or study. Your school can even bus you down!**

The Program

The program is offered to area students in grades 6 through 12 from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Cost is just $5 a day. Students can place money on an account to use for admission and/or snacks. Membership to the Center is required at a rate of $20 annually for one child or $30 for multiple children per family. Click here for membership form.

For students who would like to come everyday after school, there is also a Semester Rate† of $300 per semester. If you came every day, that's like paying only $3 a day to get in!

Education with Rewards

Students can enjoy all the Center has to offer... and get rewarded! Students who work on homework can get 2 Rewards Points for each half hour they work, up to 4 Points total. Students can also get anywhere from 2 to 10 Points for taking part in special activities. Activities might include educational games, crafts, tournaments, trivia contests, or special classes.

Rewards Points can be traded for snacks, free admission passes, and even entry into raffle drawings. 1 Point equals $0.25 at the Concession Stand.

Special Activities and Events Include:

• National Cheeseburger Day
• National Taco Day
• National Robotics Week
• Hour of Code
• Animation Day
• Bring Your Teddy Bear to School Day
• and much, much more!

Safe Place for Students

The program provides more than just a safe place for kids after school - it's an experience where they can learn and grow. With the help of Hayner Library, we offer the chance for kids to get homework help and tutoring services as well as hang out with friends, enjoy group activities, take a music lesson, work on an art project, or compete in a trivia or game tournament complete with prizes.

Students can also take part in one of the many special activities offered every so often. Such activities include special holiday parties, National Events such as the Hour of Code or National Robotics Week, and even treats on days such as National Taco Day. Students have the chance to lear all sorts of skills, trivia, and explore their own talents.

All the Activities

Upon arrival, students are offered the choice of free time to play games or hang out with friends, or they can take advantage of the opportunity to do homework or read in the Center's library which is staffed by a certified teacher courtesy of Hayner Library. The library option rewards students after a half an hour of homework or reading with Rewards Points. Students may remain in the library for as long as they like.

Thanks to volunteers and community partnerships, the Center is able to offer a wide variety of classes and workshops. Offerings include:

• art - drawing, painting, sculpture
• theater
• radio broadcasting taught by students from WLCA
• music classes
• photography
• video and film making
• robotics and programming
• jewelry making
• duct tape crafts
• tie dye and screen printing
• photo collages
• fitness and nutrition

All this in addition to occasional special programs and entertainers. Plus, we will have gaming tournaments and trivia competitions available for students to compete for prizes, on occasion.

Staff

Student volunteers from area schools assist in tutoring and staffing the program. The Center recruits volunteers from not only Alton High and Marquette Catholic High Schools, but college students from Principia College, SIUE, Lewis and Clark Community College and Missouri Baptist University as well. Students who wish to volunteer may apply here .

*Hayner Library events are subject to change due to holidays and attendance. Which means if we get more attendance, Hayner can provide more tutors, games, and pizza! Tell your friends!

**Alton Middle School, Alton High School, and St. Mary's Middle School provide transportation from the school to the front doors of the Center. There is also transportation available from St. Ambrose School

†Admission to the Riverbender.com Community Center's After School Program requires students to be registered members of the Center and pay an admission fee of $5 each day they attend. Semester Rates equal $3.33 for a 90 day semester period. Semester rates should be paid at the beginning of the semester and will not be prorated for money already spent on admissions.