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The start of the 2023-24 school year is here for John 23 Educational Center. Exciting new things are in store for this new year at the Center. In May, J23 welcomed new Executive Director Darci Green. Her experience in operations, funding and program development are expected to take the center to a new level. Green’s passion for working with young people over the years and volunteering in her church and community gave her insight to how she could serve in a leadership role as a career. She created programs for young moms, office staff, college students and then led a local national mentorship organization. Green’s passion has become her career. While working toward a master’s degree in public administration, she knew an executive director role for a non-profit organization would allow for more opportunities. Building on the foundation of tutoring, homework help and outreach, Green and her team are dedicated to bringing new program components to enhance student learning. To increase their knowledge of the world around them, John 23 will provide enrichment activities for students to explore a variety of college and career paths. From this collaborative effort, Thriving Thursdays came to fruition and will launch in October. Thriving Thursdays guest speakers are community, college, business leaders and entrepreneurs who will share their experiences of what led them to where they are today. Allowing students to have a glimpse into future possibilities by setting goals and believing they can accomplish what they set out to do. Speakers are asked to come with enthusiasm, interactive options, demonstrations and visuals. What better way to get students excited about their future. The Mentor program at J23 is being revised with a plan to debut in fall 2024. Though mentoring can happen organically, it is important to build trust in a relationship therefore having a sustainable program is necessary. We're also thrilled to launch our new website ! Updated with a brand new look with ease of navigation and accessibility in mind, folks will be able to register for programs, events, and volunteer opportunities as well as donate directly online. This new website will allow for families and stakeholders to create a login with options to update their information, track their volunteer hours and download their tax-deductible donation report. We welcome you to join us in this exciting new chapter at John 23. The center will need volunteers from the community and local colleges/universities to provide homework help and one-to-one tutoring. Middle school students will need help with math and reading, while high school students need help with algebra, geometry and writing papers. If you are interested in volunteering, John 23 will need a commitment of at least one day a week from 4-6:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Questions can be emailed to communication@john23center.org