Building Confidence, Curiosity, and Academic Foundations (Grades K-5)
Elementary After-School Program
A Joyful Academic Safety Net (Where Roots Take Hold)
For many RISE families, this is where the daily relationship with RISE truly takes root. The Elementary After-School Program gives K-5 students in East Palo Alto a warm, structured, and joy-filled space every day after school — one where they receive academic support, build confidence, and are known and celebrated as individuals. Children often join us in kindergarten or 1st grade and stay with RISE for years, growing up inside a community that watches out for them well beyond the classroom. Our goal is to ensure every child feels supported, curious, and proud of who they are and who they are becoming.
What a Day Looks Like
Every day, students arrive to a predictable, caring routine — homework help, a nutritious snack, and time to decompress — followed by a rotation of academic support and hands-on enrichment designed to spark curiosity and build real-world skills. Our comprehensive programming goes far beyond basic childcare, focusing on developing the whole child through:
Academic Support:
Daily, individualized tutoring and homework help to ensure students stay on track.
Close collaboration with classroom teachers and families to support each child holistically.
Progress is monitored so no student falls through the cracks.
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL):
Woven throughout the day—through books, targeted activities, and formal lessons, as well as organically, in the moment, during group time and everyday interactions.
A focus on mindfulness and self-regulation, helping children recognize when their bodies and emotions need a reset—before frustration or overwhelm take over.
Confidence- and skills-building activities that nurture leadership and self-esteem.
A consistent, trusted adult presence that helps kids feel safe and known.
Enrichment & Exploration:
Project-based, hands-on learning in art, science/STEM, cooking, outdoor play, dance, and more.
Enrichment designed to expose kids to new interests and build the kind of curiosity that carries into middle and high school.
Opportunities and experiences that take our children beyond their neighborhood.
The Eastside College Preparatory School Mentorship Program
One of the most unique elements of our elementary cohort is our Eastside Mentorship Program. Every RISE elementary student is paired with a high school mentor from Eastside College Preparatory School.
Weekly one-on-one time built on academic support, life skills, and mindfulness activities.
A relationship that benefits both sides: Elementary students gain a consistent role model who takes a personal interest in their growth, while Eastside Prep mentors build leadership and a sense of purpose giving back to their own community.
Why It Matters
Consistency changes outcomes. A child who starts in kindergarten and stays through 5th grade doesn't just get five years of homework help — they get five years of being known, encouraged, and believed in by the same community. That foundation is what allows so many RISE students to carry their confidence forward into middle school, high school, and beyond.
Our Team
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Sheryl Humble
Program Lead
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Abby Jalpa
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Daniela Perez
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Marlin Sandoval
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Jay Rosas