Florin High’s After-School Clubs Help Kids Readjust After Lockdowns

COVID-19 shutdowns isolated a generation already known for being disconnected. Now, one Sacramento high school is helping teens re-integrate and socialize with cutting-edge after-school clubs.

Florin High School’s after-school programs don’t just bolster social-emotional learning; they keep kids interested in school, administrators say. 

After-school students at Florin do everything from Dungeons & Dragons games to volleyball, robotics and baking. Around 254 kids — or 15% of the student body — participate in the clubs. They’re funded by a five-year federal grant from California’s Department of Education. 

Students who spoke to the Sacramento Bee say the programs have helped them come out of their shells post-COVID.

The clubs “just helped me so much,” said Anastasiya Zakharchuk, 16. “It helps me spend more time with (friends).”