Most parents, no matter where they live, want the best for their children. However, students who attend schools located in urban areas often live in homes or communities that are not supportive of academic success or the concept of being gainfully employed. These unfortunate scenarios are common in major cities throughout the world. Poverty and perpetual unemployment in urban communities will continue to grow because the living conditions of many students prohibit them from getting the most out of their education. Traditional after school programs by themselves do not sufficiently address the needs of these parents and their children. To meet the needs of these children and their parents Dale G. Caldwell developed the concept of the Residential After-School Program (RASP). In short, the RASP is a way of creating the “village” needed to raise children. Mr. Caldwell founded Residential After-School Program, Incorporated to coordinate the establishment of RASPs in communities where schools have high drop out rates.

RASP is a Sunday evening through Friday morning program, which will provide students with two meals a day, housing, tutoring, mentoring and caring Resident Mentors (RM). Parents or guardians have the option of sending students to the RASP for free for one week a month or for an entire school year. The RASP will:

• Ensure that students arrive safely at school everyday
• Pick them up from school or from other after school activities
• Expose students to cultural, social and business activities
• Provide daily guest speakers who will dine with students
• Support the academic work the student receives at school
• Encourage parents to participate during the week/ support parent child interaction on weekends
• Provide a place for students to get a good night of sleep

RASP, Inc. is founded on the belief that many “at risk” students will benefit from an after school program that provides a boarding component and allows students to attend traditional public schools. Unfortunately, most of the residential programs for children in the United States are for “at risk” students who have violated the law. We feel that the RASP will provide the positive educational and emotional support needed for students who do not live in an environment that is conducive to learning. The RASP has the potential to help “at risk” students (who have not violated the law) become productive citizens. The program is founded on the concept that “it is cheaper to send students to Yale that to Jail”. The objective of the RASP is to save society money by putting “at risk” students on the path to academic success.

An added advantage of the RASP is that volunteers can mentor students no matter what time they finish work. Too often after school programs have ended by the time most people get out of work. RASP, Inc. believes that RASP will provide a vehicle for successful, busy people to connect directly with “at risk” urban students.