Ile AfterSchool

Ile—pronounced ee-lay—is a Lakota word that means light

Ile AfterSchool is the first program to be developed as part of the Ile strategy and 501(c)3 charity. Ile AfterSchool exists to bring the light of Jesus to the community of Little Earth, Minnesota, by focusing on consistent, authentic relationships with vulnerable, at-risk children and youth.

Mission

Ile AfterSchool provides weekly educational support and advocacy. We connect at-risk students with adult mentors and learning resources in a safe, persistent, and loving environment. We seek to:

  • Create and sustain high-trust relationships with students, their families, and caregiver

  • Intervene with high-risk truant or chronically absent students

  • Bridge the disparities currently impacting educational outcomes for Little Earth learners

  • Align practical resources and caring support tailored to individual learners’ needs

  • Connect all areas of the student’s life for consistent and complete wrap-around support, including basic life skills, the ability to learn, and personal advocacy on the educational journey

Beliefs

At Ile AfterSchool, the following principles guide our programming and the relationships we develop with each unique child. We believe:

  • Every child has inherent value and importance

  • Every child is more than the sum of their current circumstances

  • Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and gain an education

  • Every child deserves to have a safe, consistent, reliable adult in their life

  • Every child deserves advocacy, to be seen and supported on the path to achieving their potential

Approach

Ile AfterSchool designed its approach with intent, incorporating best practices of trauma-informed care, protective safety measures for all interactions and activities, and the following tactics:

  • First things first.  Activities are designed based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, understanding that children are best positioned to achieve their God-designed potential when they are not hungry, tired, or afraid; when they feel secure and loved; and when they feel valued and celebrated. Ile supports both children and families with day-to-day needs such as food, diapers, and school supplies to help reduce the stress on caregivers. 

  • Relationship-based.  Sustained relationships are key to long-term change and building the trust critical for connecting with this unique culture and population.

  • Community involvement.  Ile seeks to equip individuals, families, and communities for long-term success while periodically standing in the gap when critical resources are needed. As a result, it is critical for members of the the Little Earth community to have voice in the design of our programs and approach. 

  • Focus on school attendance.  Ile AfterSchool includes gentle, encouragement-based attendance tracking in addition to culturally and situationally sensitive analysis into root causes underlying poor school attendance.  We seek to understand the practical hows and the whys in order to provide relevant support to keep students consistently in school. 

  • Play.  We incorporate play into the design of activities as an essential contributor to child development.  Research shows that play improves a child’s overall health and development, including motor skills, language, math, and abilities related to managing stress, resilience, planning, organizing, self-regulating emotions, and social skills. Play also has a critical role in helping kids with language, math, the ability to cope with stress, and lifelong skills in managing the impact of trauma. 

  • Exposure to diverse activities.  New experiences and new places enable children to learn how to learn—and the best learning happens when children engage all their senses and abilities. New experiences are a prerequisite for mental development and resilience. We seek to expose our students to new ways of thinking, doing, and being than what they might have experienced in their community—building on the philosophy that it’s easier to create what you can visualize. This includes experiences such as job shadowing, field trips, animal interaction, and guest speakers.

  • Being outside.  Being outdoors engages a child’s full senses, offering endless possibilities to explore, think, create, play, imagine, problem-solve, and engage. Outdoor activities offer opportunities to celebrate God’s creation and learn the value and joy of caring for our environment and the many creatures it contains. For Little Earth learners in particular, outdoor engagement offers the opportunity for Biblical connection to community values and tradition.

  • Family resources.  ILE serves Little Earth families with timely connections to critical resources such as addiction support, mental health care, housing support, educational advocacy, and job opportunities.  As a faith-based organization, ILE also seeks to connect families to nearby communities of faith in a culturally sensitive manner that mirrors the faith, hope, and love of Jesus Christ. ILE pursues this part of its mission with the understanding that loss of trust between Indigenous communities and government resources may impact receptiveness to valuable services.

Early Impact

In working with students in the Little Earth community over the past five years, Ile staff have seen a pattern where students who have major issues with school attendance (missing 50-70% of the school year) are falling through the cracks. These students are getting missed and the gap for success is only increasing as students are pushed through the system each year, often missing over half of the educational material presented in the previous school year. These students are not receiving the proper support to help them succeed and reach their greatest potential. Ile staff have observed that about 90% of the students we encounter are one to two grade levels lower (sometimes more) than their actual grade in both math and reading.

Over the past year, a very small group of Ile staff launched a seed program with middle school girls — a critical age where many students either drop out or lean into excel when given the right support. Two girls in particular regularly participated in intentional tutoring activities. At the beginning of the year, the girls attended school 0-2 days per week on average, with grades limited to Ds and Fs. By the end of the year — after consistent one-on-one mentoring, encouragement, and homework help—attendance increased to 4-5 days per week, grades improved to Bs and Cs across the board, and both girls passed all their classes.. 

Partnership Opportunities

Ile AfterSchool is currently seeking volunteers able to commit to persistent presence in student lives, resources to enable better transportation (such as a van), learning technologies, and ministry/business partnerships.  Please contact us for more information.

Note: All volunteers must complete a full background check.