Students usually stay after school to participate in extracurricular activities such as sports and clubs. But other students go home and get distracted by TV or other electronics and might not do their homework. The sports academy is a nonprofit program that helps kids do their homework and stay out of trouble after school if they don’t participate in sports or clubs.

    Students attend sports academy to complete homework and play games with the help of supervisors. One of the goals of the program is to give students “something to do after school and stay out of trouble,” and they also “have fun with their friends,” says Tuvgeng Easy, a college graduate who supervises the sports academy.

    The sports academy meets every Thursday after school from 2:30 to 4:00pm in the cafeteria at Paint Branch High School. The students have 30 minutes to do their homework, and then the game stations are open.  Students may also choose to continue to do homework.

    Students have is no fee to attend the sports academy at Paint Branch. “Students don’t have to pay; the county funds it,” says Easy.

    The students really seem to like the program, especially the free games, which they really get into. “I play games like Ping-Pong and Wii; I also do my homework in sports academy, “says Luwam Aron, a 9th grader in Paint Branch. The students like the program because it helps them with their homework, and they also get to have fun with their friends after school. “It’s fun and entertaining,” says Aron.

    The sports academy offers students the opportunity to play games like ping pong, mini pool, horseshoe throwing and Wii. The supervisors check students in, help students with homework if they need it, and also play games with them. The students also sometimes get snacks. To attract other students in the school who stay after school outside of sports academy, the sports academy recently organized an activity where students got pizza if they answered survey questions.

    If students need help with homework, then it would be a good idea for them to go to the sports academy, and it may be just the thing to raise their grades while they have fun. Or if they just want to have fun with friends outside of classes but still be in school, then they might just like it and start going to the sports academy every Thursday after school.