The Creating Rural Opportunities Partnership (CROP) After School and Summer Program is a consortium of fourteen rural upstate school districts, including Andes, Charlotte Valley, Edmeston, Gilboa-Conesville, Hunter-Tannersville, Jefferson, Laurens, Margaretville, Milford, Morris, Roxbury, South Kortright, Stamford, and Worcester.

All fourteen schools are funded as the result of three successful grant applications for the federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. The grant awards are scheduled to run for five years, however continued funding is contingent on federal budget approval.

CROP’s mission is to grow citizens who contribute positively to their communities. 
We provide the following in a safe and supportive after school and summer environment:
Academic Support: Encouraging students to succeed academically through tutoring support, activities linked to school day learning and Math, ELA and STEM Programming.
Youth Development: Helping students grow into positive citizens through enrichment such as community based service learning, arts, clubs, technology, nutrition classes, field trips, recreation and games and visits from community organizations.
Family Engagement: Connecting families to their child's education through family nights and workshops and providing links to other helpful community supports.

Vision of Program Partners
Roxbury Central School District (RCS), Morris Central School District (MCS) and Charlotte Valley Central School District (CVCS) act as the Local Educational Agencies for the CROP programs.  In addition to the fourteen partnered school districts, CROP has established two levels of partners – major partners and community resource partners.

Major partners play a significant role in programming and have been extensively involved in the success of CROP’s 21st Century Community Learning Center project thus far. CROP's major partners include Hanford Mills Museum who provides academic enrichment sessions; and the Roxbury Arts Group (RAG) who provides arts and cultural programming. Cornell Cooperative Extension Offices in Delaware, Schoharie-Otsego, and Columbia-Greene Counties provide cooking and nutrition classes for both students and parents. Past partners have included the Community Arts Network of Oneonta, Hawk Circle Wilderness Education, Girls on the Run, Leatherstocking Education on Alcoholism/Addictions Foundation (LEAF), Schoharie County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (SCCASA), and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council of Delaware County (ADAC).

The Community Resource Partners are a wide variety of community organizations identified within the individual CROP communities.  These partners have pledged to provide service or programs to CROP students. Some examples of support include: volunteerism by Rotary Clubs, read-aloud program at libraries, Parent Teacher Associations, scout troops, community action organizations, church groups, local businesses, retirement homes, etc.  Anyone who wants to make a difference in the community and support their school as a 21st Century Community Learning Center can become a Community Resource Partner.

Evaluator Summary 2021-22

The CROP Programs offer a large variety of engaging lessons and activities that help students increase academic achievement and develop skills of social and personal responsibility while improving emotional well-being.

Students report satisfaction with CROP programming:

• Nearly 91% (Morris) and 92% (Roxbury) of students reported finding CROP activities interesting

• Nearly 98% in Morris and 90% in Roxbury tried at least two new things during the year

Parents also felt CROP was beneficial to their students:

• Most parents felt that CROP helped their students do better in school (97% Morris and 93% Roxbury)

• Over 90% (Morris) and 91% (Roxbury) of parents saw an improvement in their students’ grades

Parents also observed positive social impacts of CROP:

• Most parents felt that CROP helped their children get along better with classmates (98% Morris and 98% Roxbury) and make new friends (100% Morris and 96% Roxbury).

The Evaluation Team of Bluepoint Consulting concludes with certainty that despite the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, CROP programming had a discernable and measurable positive impact on the academic and social performance of CROP participants. 

Spring 2022 CROP Newsletter - The Harvester.pdf

Spring 2021 CROP Newsletter - The Harvester.pdf

Fall 2020 CROP Newsletter - The Harvester.pdf

CROP Winter 2020 Newsletter - The Harvester

CROP Fall 2019 Newsletter- The Harvester 

Please contact Rosemary Iacono, Site Coordinator for CROP if you have any questions at 518-263-4256, ext. 2508 or email riacono@htcschools.org