NORWICH – While The Place in the City of Norwich has offered an after-school program for students of some kind since the mid-1980s, that service has expanded over the past handful of years.

Advantage After-school Program Coordinator Kayla Montano said The Place, located at 20 East Main St., currently has openings in a Kids Program and a Teen Advantage Program.

With the long hours many parents are forced to work, said Montano, often there is “very little time for some people to sit down and do homework with their kids.”

“Our program gives kids more of an opportunity to get any extra help they may need, and that’s our goal,” she added.

Besides offering kids an after-school snack and homework tutoring, the pair of programs also offer a number of structured activities, said Montano, including field trips, cooking, art and science projects, and volunteering locally. In addition, it’s a chance for some social time with their friends and classmates, she added.

“We work closely with the Norwich City School District also, and we’re always in contact with the students’ teachers and counselors,” reported Montano. “If we know a student is falling behind in a particular subject, we’re able to find out what they need to do to get back on track.”

Keeping students’ school day and after-school schedules consistent is a priority, added Montano, who said kids learn early on that they “can’t come in and say they don’t have homework,” because of that constant communication between The Place and the schools.