Detroit expands after-school programs with city funding

Mayor Mary Sheffield announced Detroit will open seven new after-school program sites this school year, investing $2.2 million in city funds.

The expansion of the GOAL Line Detroit program aims to provide affordable, safe options for children and ease burdens on working parents. Currently serving over 2,700 students across 33 sites, the program will now reach approximately 1,000 more children.

This is the first time GOAL Line will offer programs in all seven of Detroit’s City Council districts, increasing access for families throughout the city. The program provides free transportation from school to the new locations for students in grades K-8. Parents like Sloan Gibson shared that GOAL Line helps their children succeed academically and allows them to maintain stable work schedules.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti of Detroit Public Schools Community District noted that transportation often prevents families from enrolling children in after-school activities, and the program addresses this challenge. GOAL Line offers 57 enrichment activities, including robotics, athletics, and tutoring, and was originally created in 2018 to encourage families to stay within the Detroit school system. Sheffield stated that this expansion is a first step toward her goal of ensuring every Detroit school has an after-school program within two miles.

New sites will be located at community centers, recreation centers, and branches of the Detroit Public Library.