Chinatown Afterschool
To learn more about CHAP, please contact chinatownafterschool@pbha.org
Staff Contact Information:
Kerry McGowan
kerry@pbha.org
Student Director Contact Information: chinatownafterschool@pbha.org
Please follow our Instragram: @chinatown_afterschool
PBHA's Chinatown Afterschool Program promotes academic enrichment for children of low income families in Boston’s Chinatown community. We provide a safe and supportive afterschool environment through tutoring, educational projects, and literacy activities. We build self-esteem and intellectual curiosity by fostering mentoring relationships with volunteers both in and out of the classroom. Ultimately, we aim to equip our students with life skills that will encourage them to be contributing members of their communities.
Beginnings and Site Changes
Chinatown Afterschool (CHAP) was founded in 1984 to meet the need for a free afterschool program in Boston’s Chinatown. The program was originally based in the Church of All Nations, and from 1984 through 2008 operated from the sites of community partners including College High School, Boston High School, and the Asian American Civic Association. Since 2008, CHAP has been based at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA).
Traditions
Despite many changes over the last 3o years, Chinatown Afterschool has successfully held on to many traditions. Most notably, “Halloween at Harvard,” a day filled with fun booths and trick-or-treating in Harvard Yard, takes place each fall. Program-wide trips have traditionally encourage counselors to further their relationships with their students.