By Mark Hallum
State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) announced he would allocate nearly half a million dollars to Project Boost funding for 44 schools within his district. Project Building Options and Opportunities for Students is a program from the Center for Educational Innovation and gives schools the financing they need for education programs, cultural trips or other extracurricular activities.
“Project Boost is a phenomenal program that allows schools to create afterschool and in-school extracurricular activities that would have otherwise not been possible. Many of our schools are strapped for funding, and it really makes a big difference when they get a little extra. Studies show that students who attend afterschool activities benefit tremendously from that involvement, and because of Project Boost more schools will be able to establish these extracurricular programs,” Avella said.
The money for Project Boost is allocated from the state budget and distributed citywide on an annual basis. The city uses Project Boost to develop skills learning in students at promising elementary and middle schools, so they can move on to better schools and programs after graduation from 8th grade.
“I look forward to seeing all the different ways that these schools will be using the Project Boost money. The opportunities made possible by the funding will be sure to give students throughout my district memorable and new experiences that will shape their academic and personal life,” Avella added.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall
