Montgomery County teachers start 'homework club' to help neighborhood kids

AMBLER, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A group of Montgomery County volunteers and educators are working together to make sure kids have the extra support they need to succeed in the classroom.

The "Rising Stars Homework Club" helped 45 kids this year in the Wissahickon School District stay up-to-date on their work and gave them a fun activity to do after school.

Former educators Heather Maltin and Patti Fabiani run the group out of Ambler.

"When I was young, I could have used a program like this. So when my friend came to me and said, 'this is something I want to do,' I said, 'you know, this is something that's dear to my heart,'" said Fabiani, a 26-year veteran of the school district who is the director of the club.

The club, originally founded in 2015, was revamped during the pandemic to support at-risk students who may need extra help with their school work.

"At the beginning of the year, we had first and second graders that could not do basic skills at all. We're talking about writing basic sight words. We're talking using scissors," said Maltin, a former high school teacher and community advocate who serves as the club's supervisor.

The club relies on dozens of volunteers like Ellen Quinn, who was a teacher for more than 40 years and can give the kids one-on-one attention.

"Help them increase their level of confidence. When they're sure they can't do something and you break it into the small pieces and they can do it and they're successful," said Quinn.

The end of the school year means the club is wrapped up until September. Still, a lot of the kids need support over the summer, so the club is working with the Mattie N Dixon Community Cupboard to send kids for free to summer camp.

"When you see these kids succeeding, it's something you can't explain, the emotional part of it," said Fabiani.