Launchpad prepares for new year of learning, mentorship and community support in Red Oak

Launchpad prepares for new year of learning, mentorship and community support in Red Oak

 

Registration and contact information

The new Launchpad session begins Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at Inman Elementary School in Red Oak. Families interested in applying should locate the application through the Launchpad Red Oak Facebook page or Persistent Hope’s online presence. Openings are limited and vary by grade.

For volunteer opportunities, donations, community partnerships or program questions, contact Melissa J. MacDonald by call or text at 402-659-9850.

 

 

An after-school program at Inman Elementary School is preparing to welcome students back Tuesday, October 20, with an emphasis on reading, hands-on learning, healthy food and relationships with trusted adults. But as Launchpad begins another year, its director says the program’s ability to serve more children depends largely on the number of volunteers willing to help.

 

Melissa J. MacDonald, president of Persistent Hope and known to participating children as “Miss Mel,” discussed the program during an interview on KCSI Radio. Sponsored by the Red Oak nonprofit in partnership with the Red Oak Community School District, Launchpad serves Inman Elementary students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

 

“Launch Pad is our afterschool learning program that we do in partnership with the Red Oak Community School,” MacDonald said. The children gather at school on Tuesday afternoons, but organizers work to make the experience feel different from the regular school day. The approximately two-hour program combines individual reading practice, homework help, crafts, science and STEM activities, physical activity, games and snacks.

 

MacDonald repeatedly emphasized the need for adult volunteers. She said roughly 20 to 25 people attended a recent volunteer training, though that was not the entire volunteer group. Ideally, she would like a one-to-one ratio of adults to children during some activities. More volunteers could allow Launchpad to accept additional students, although space at Inman would eventually become a limitation.

 

One of the biggest needs is for reading buddies: adults willing to listen, encourage and occasionally help children as they read in the school media center. MacDonald said volunteers need not be specialists in literacy. Students can be matched with adults whose comfort levels suit their needs, and recurring volunteers often develop meaningful relationships with children.

 

“I can always use people,” she said. In addition to reading buddies, volunteers can help at homework stations, escort groups through activities, clean up or simply spend time with students. A volunteer assigned to a group for the full afternoon would generally arrive around 2:45 p.m. and finish around 5:10 p.m., she said. Other roles may require less time.