FAIRMONT – Now in its second year, the K-6 Cardinal Prime after-school program is seeing continued success.

The program provides students with activities and socialization opportunities after the school day ends. It also helps working parents find a place to benefit their kids until they’re finished. The program runs from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Cardinal Prime Coordinator John Bartscher first started an after-school program when he lived in Tennessee. After moving to be closer to family and seeing no such program, he sprung into action.

“I started talking with Stephanie Busiahn here at CER (Community Education and Recreation),” Bartscher said. “We thought it’d be a great idea to have options for families to have an after-school program where kids could do something that wasn’t sports. We snowballed from there. We started thinking of some ideas and Cardinal Prime came to life.”

The 2023-24 school year was their first, and to test the waters of interest they made the program free. Bartscher said the feedback they received is the reason they came back for a second year.

“Last year was so popular,” he said. “We had so many families that wanted to be a part of it and kids that had such a great time at it. We knew this was something the community needed and the kids wanted. We wanted to give it a full shot this year.”

During the first year, Bartscher said a lot was gained in how to best run the program.

“The first year we were very kid-oriented,” he said. “We wanted this to be a fun place they look forward to coming. We learned a lot last year about what the kids like, whether it was gym games, playground, going out to the field or maybe the computer lab, or what games would they want us to get.”

Now there is a $200 a month fee. Families with multiple kids pay $175 per month for each kid after the first. From last year, when it was free, Bartscher said they’ve continuously had around 30 kids per month. The money has allowed them to bring further kids’ activities and ideas to life.

“A lot of stuff like arts and crafts, supplies,” he said. “Video games have been a big thing we brought in with an Xbox. A big screen Smart TV the kids can use to do homework, math problems, and educational stuff. We have puzzles and games we put in the computer lab, a Pop-A-Shot basketball game. There’s so many things we’ve been able to bring in this year.”

While 30 is a good number, Bartscher said they have plenty of room for as many kids who need a place even if they don’t need it.

“A lot of parents need to not pick their kids up after school because they work,” he said. “[A good chunk of] kids we have are there because of need. We want to get out there this is more a program of enriching a child’s experience while they’re at this age.”

For more information, visit https://www.fairmont.k12.mn.us/o/cer, call 507-235-3141, or email jbartscher@fairmont.k12.mn.us.