(First, a shameless plug: Cheddar Up is such a great spot to host your enrichment program because we offer signups, payments, registration forms, and waivers all in one tidy spot. Let Andrea tell you why she switched from Eventbrite!)
7 Sharp Ideas for Enrichment Programs
1. After-School Enrichment
This is the most popular enrichment program we see on Cheddar Up: a variety of activities primarily offered at elementary schools. We love the After School Enrichment Program collection from Ocean Shore Elementary School in Pacifica, California, especially the classes’ catchy names like “Start the Art” or “Tenacious Tennis Academy”. They categorized the collection by weekdays, which we think is a smart way for parents to find the classes that fit their schedules.
The collection also included a countdown timer, which allows viewers to see what will be offered before registration officially opens. It’s a thoughtful touch to give parents time to read and consider without feeling the rush to beat the “Sold Out” notification.
2. Book Clubs
Maybe you’re part of a small school that doesn’t have the resources to offer a robust enrichment program? Start with just one with a single focus, like the great book clubs offered by Fort Island PTA in Fairlawn, Ohio. The After School Graphic Novel Club, open to 3rd and 4th graders, provided books to discuss each week, and for a final project, students created their own graphic novels. The After School Book Club for K through 2nd graders included reading a book and making a craft.
3. Summer Academic Enrichment Camps
We’re a huge fan of Fort Worth (Texas) Christian School’s bright Summer Specialty Camps collection, which shows off our specialty of consolidating registration + contact information + waivers. Their summer offerings include everything from beginner’s piano to puppeteering to Photoshop to learning about jungle animals.
4. Summer Enrichment Sponsorships
What an amazing idea from Paxson PTA in Missoula, Montana — they accepted donations to send some of their students off with their own personal summer enrichment, in the form of local pool passes, camp registrations, and books. The Sandal Project collection was set up similar to angel trees around the holidays: Each sandal listed suggested items for purchase, and the PTA supplied whatever was not collected.
5. Extended Day Program for Preschools
W.H.E.E. Preschool in Greenwood Village, Colorado, calls it Lunch Enrichment, and we think that’s a wee bit adorable. For $45, parents can enroll their preschoolers in additional activities for two hours over lunch time.
6. Homeschool Enrichment Classes
In this once-a-week after-school STEM course, homeschool students work together to create a mini golf course out of pizza boxes! Each student creates one hole out of one box. And while it was created specifically for homeschool students, we think it translates perfectly for any middle or high school future engineer.
7. College or Graduate School Enrichment Programs
Who says academic enrichment can’t go to college? There are benefits of enrichment programs for students of all ages — one of which is community building among new peers. We love how the student association at Darden School of Business, University of Virginia’s graduate business school, consolidated all the involvement opportunities in one endless scroll.
Have your own enrichment ideas?
Set up your own enrichment collection in just a few steps- it’s as easy as A-B-C.
