For many families, the hours between the end of the school day and the end of the workday can be a difficult time to fill, especially when affordable after-school programs are hard to find. And here in Idaho, there's a pretty significant gap.
A recent survey from the Afterschool Alliance found that more than 169,000 Idaho children would take part in an after-school program if one were available, but only about 27,000 currently do. One new Boise nonprofit is hoping to help close a little bit of that gap with a particular focus on teens who may need some extra support and a place to belong.
Aspen Grove Community Center was founded last year by social worker and children's trauma therapist Lauren Symmonds Aboussie. The organization is working with South Junior High and other community partners to offer free after-school and summer programming that combines art and creative expression with counseling, college and career preparation, volunteer opportunities and support for families.
This summer, Aspen Grove tested the idea with its first street art camp, partnering with Boise muralist Collin Pfeifer of Sector Seventeen. And now, the organization is working toward something much bigger: a permanent community center near South Junior High, which it hopes to open for full-time after-school programming in early 2027.
Lauren Symmonds Aboussie is the founder and executive director of Aspen Grove Community Center, and she joined Idaho Matters to talk more.
