Learning Hubs to Supplement Distance Learning for Select Local Students

South San Francisco, CA  November 13, 2020

South San Francisco Unified School Partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of North San Mateo County and South San Francisco Rotary Club to Create Learning Hubs in Support of Distance Learning

South San Francisco Unified School District (SSFUSD), Boys & Girls Clubs of North San Mateo County (BGCNSMC) and the Rotary Club of South San Francisco are coming together to support the opening of five learning hubs in November at Sunshine Gardens Elementary School, the district’s two high schools, and Boys & Girls Clubs of North San Mateo County’s Paradise Valley Clubhouse.

According to SSFUSD Superintendent Dr. Shawnterra Moore, the district prioritized the need, BGCNSMC stepped in to fill the need, and the South San Francisco Rotary Club stepped up to fund the need.   South San Francisco Rotary Club’s transformational donation of $250,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of North San Mateo County will help fund staffing and operational costs and allow the district to enroll families, who have suffered economic hardship due to the ongoing pandemic, at low or no cost.

“We are so grateful and thankful for the partnerships of our community,” said Dr. Moore. “With this money, our strong desire to help subsidize the cost for our families really may become a reality.”

Dr. Moore said the learning hubs will provide targeted academic support to small groups of students but are not part of a district-wide transition to hybrid learning. Instead, they are designed to help students struggling with distance learning who have had difficulty with technology, attendance, or completing work on time.

The learning hubs will operate from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM and begin service on or about November 16.  The Sunshine Gardens locations can serve students enrolled at this school, Martin, and Spruce Elementary schools, while the Paradise Valley Clubhouse will also serve students of Martin and Spruce Elementary Schools.

Meanwhile, the El Camino and South San Francisco High School hubs are open to selected high schoolers and elementary and middle school students from throughout SSFUSD who meet the criteria.

“We simply cannot thank the Rotary Club of South San Francisco for this impact investment. We are excited to be able to show up for the community in this way,” said Aubrey Merriman, chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of North San Mateo County. “This partnership between schools and community-based organizations and the Rotary Club of South San Francisco is really indicative of what can happen when we put students and equity first.”