Wah Mei School Announces Community Hubs for Children in Need

The Wah Mei School, in partnership with the Department of Youth, Children and their Families (DCYF), Supervisor Gordon Mar, San Francisco Public Library and Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center, announced a pair of Community Hubs to support Sunset District families and children.

The program provides all-day, in-person learning support for high needs students participating in SFUSD’s distance learning curriculum. The small class-size hubs, for school-aged children, will take place at the Sunset Branch Library and Ortega Branch Library. The program is part of the citywide Community Hubs Initiative.

“We’re excited to help Sunset District families get this much-needed support,” said Ben Wong, executive director at Wah Mei School. “We’re proud to be offering safe and small-sized learning groups that ensure all children and youth can get the educational support they need.”

The hubs will consist of small groups of students (12-14 maximum), spanning grades K -6. Hubs at the Sunset Branch Library location will offer language learning support and assistance for Cantonese and Mandarin-speaking students. Both sites will offer meals and follow strict public health department health and safety protocols. The program is free to qualifying families.

“The Sunset is home to many families whose resources are limited and are unable to participate in independent education-focused pods,” said Supervisor Gordon Mar of District 4. “These families are also struggling to work and support their children’s learning during the pandemic, and they have nowhere to turn. The Community Hubs help address this need.”

“Like most families, we’ve faced many challenges during the pandemic,” said Kelly Wong McGrath, who is a nurse/midwife and whose partner is also an essential worker.

This community hub ensures my daughter has a safe space to learn during the day and gives me assurance she gets the educational support needed while I’m at work.”The program prioritizes the following individuals:

• Residents of HOPE SF, public housing, RVs and SROs;
• Families experiencing homelessness;
• Children in the foster care system
• English Language Learners
• Low-income families with a focus on African Americans, Latino/a/x, Asians and PacificIslanders.“San Francisco Public Library is pleased to support critical distance learning support for youth in the Sunset District,” said Michael Lambert, city librarian for the City and County of San Francisco. “The public library has always been a place for literacy and learning, and so we are excited to support the expansion of community hubs into two more neighborhood branches.”
  
  For more information contact info@dcyf.org or visit www.dcyf.org/care.