ROCHELLE –– For the last five years, students have met after school to learn, grow and catch up on schoolwork. The HUB Project has provided many students opportunities they do not have during the 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. school day.
By staying after school, students had the opportunity for extra academic lessons, to complete homework with assistance and explore during an enrichment time.
HUB Project would not be possible without the grants that help fund the program, however the extra assistance the students receive would not be possible without the community’s help. HUB Project manager, Jodee Craven, relies on local non-for-profit and corporations to help with the after school enrichment.
A HUB Project partner luncheon was held Friday afternoon to recognize and thank all those who help serve the students in HUB Project.
“The partnerships with the community have gone so much better than we ever could have hoped for,” Todd Prusator, Rochelle Elementary District #231 superintended stated. “We are grateful for the community’s support for this and the people who have gotten involved. It has ultimately benefited these kids the last five years and is going to keep doing it for the next five. We couldn’t be more excited about it.”
The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois provided a grant to fully fund HUB Project for the 2016-2017 school year.
During the fifth year of HUB, Craven and site coordinators saw a steady attendance in students throughout the year. The first year, in 2012, about 150 students were enrolled in HUB Project. Attendance was not regular and the program can be described as organized chaos. In year three, site coordinators were added to the program to oversee operations at each school. The same year, before school programming was added at the three schools: Lincoln, Central and Rochelle Middle School.
This past school year, John Michael Loggins, Jesus Fulgencio and Tony Wyatt served as the site coordinators.

“Our site coordinators have done a wonderful job. The elementary level does not have many male role models. To have these three male role models working with our kids has been terrific because they are what you want people to grow up to be,” said Prusator.
This past school year, 340 kids were enrolled in the programming and were attending regularly.
“To look back, our retention rate has been outstanding, that is accredited to kids feeling like it is productive, the parents feeling it is productive and we wouldn’t be where we are at if it wasn’t for Jodee Craven,” Prusator added. “She has a passion for this, of wanting to serve our kids and our community. She has really been the engine that has gotten us to where we are at.”
Prusator also thanked the many teachers involved who stay after school to work additional hours with students.
“It is a long day for kids, but it is also a real long day for teachers to work a full day and then still provide that time after school. We have been fortunate for five years that we have filled all the after school positions with our teachers.”
While many community groups and organizations have been involved with HUB either by donating time or monetary gifts, the University of Illinois Extension has been the number one partner. Craven explained the organization donated 300 hours this past school year working with students. Some programs the outreach offered included nutrition, robotics, health and character building.
This summer Fit Hub provided a free exercise class for each day of summer school. Throughout the summer, Fit Hub lead the young students in cardio drumming.
Craven stated, “it is really the enrichment piece that is huge for our kids. Our students are not being exposed to the enrichment piece at home, maybe they are not able to go to the museum, or they don’t head out to the park.”
HUB Project is pulling in students that qualify for free and reduced lunch and many students who do not speak English at home.
Once a month, HUB provides a family program to bring the students, their family and district staff together. This year a parent education piece was held to provide citizenship classes for local residents.
Two years ago, HUB Program launched a mentorship program to match a student with a caring adult to provide a positive one-on-one interaction. Twenty-six students spent their lunch hour one day a week talking, playing and having fun with a caring adult. Students who were in the mentorship program have seen an increase in attendance and grades.
Donors for the HUB Project include: Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, University of Illinois, Northern Illinois Food Bank, Rochelle Area Community Foundation, Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois, The Walking Classroom, Rochelle Township High School, Culver’s of Rochelle, Flagg Township Public Library, Flagg Township Museum, Flagg Rochelle Park District, First National Bank of Rochelle, Ogle County Juvenile Justice Council, Tyson Foods, CHS Ethanol, Rochelle Rotary, Rochelle Elementary District 231 BPAC, Rochelle Township High School BPAC, Barnes and Noble, Rochelle Community Hospital, Rochelle News-Leader, The Fit Hub, Hidden Timber Gardens, AJ Parker– Frito Lay, Laura Brizuela- Zumba, and Brittanie Shearer- Girl Scout Leader.
Year six
During the thank you luncheon Craven shared news that the HUB Program received grant funding for the next five years.
Craven had already secured money from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois to ensure year six will be fully funded.
HUB Project will continue at each site for the next school year. Looking ahead, Craven is hoping to expand the mentor program and get more adults involved to help lead and inspire young students.