Right At School

Spring Break Camp this year was pure magic, and our adventurers absolutely brought it to life!

We're still smiling looking back at these incredible "Quest of Legends" moments... and counting down the days until we get to do it all again at Summer Camp!

Is your child ready for their next adventure? Summer enrollment is open — tag a friend whose kid needs to be on this quest!

This , we’re celebrating the incredible educators who make a difference in children’s lives every day. From each of the 4 million teachers across the country to the 5,000+ out-of-school-time educators in our programs, these are the people who show up every day with patience, creativity, and care. Join us in recognizing our community’s teachers, RAS educators, and program managers — shout out a teacher or educator who's making an impact in the comments! ⬇️

🏆 Congratulations to Samantha Villeda, Area Manager in California, one of Right At School's newest GEM Award winners!

Sam's story is one of coming full circle. She grew up benefiting from afterschool programs, which is exactly why she chose this work.

Since joining RAS in 2020 as an educator, Sam has risen quickly, now overseeing programs across some of California's most competitive districts. In just two years back in her home base of Los Angeles, she's opened three new districts—South Pasadena, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica-Malibu—with more expansion already on the way.

Her approach is rooted in trust. She recalls a student in Palo Alto who struggled to attend school more than once or twice a week. Through the consistency and care Sam's team showed him, he became a program regular, eventually going months without a single school absence.

That human-first approach defines everything Sam does, from the way she engages ELOP coordinators and district liaisons, to the bi-weekly newsletters she introduced to keep families connected on California's many closed campuses.
Ask Sam about the award, though, and she'll tell you it belongs to her team. That kind of leadership is exactly what a GEM looks like.

Congratulations, Sam! 🏆

Registration is now open for Summer Camp in Fremont USD, provided by Right At School! RAS Summer Camp will be held at Bringhurst Elementary and Green Elementary from June 8 - July 28 and will last from 8A.M. to 5:30P.M. RAS camps are packed with adventure including water games, STEM activities, arts & crafts, and indoor & outdoor play. Get more information and register at rascamps.com.
If you believe your family may quality for free programming through the ELOP grant, please review your district's eligibility process.

Registration is now open for Summer Camp in Arcadia Unified School District, provided by Right At School! RAS Summer Camp will be held from June 8 - August 14 and will last from 7A.M. to 6P.M. RAS Summer Camps are packed with adventure including field trips, water games, STEM activities, arts & crafts, and indoor & outdoor play. Get more information and register at rascamps.com.
If you believe your family may quality for free programming through the ELOP grant, please review your district's eligibility process.

Stephanie Hover leads Right At School's growth across the Midwest in five states. Steph realized her purpose, to always do what's best for kids, as a teenager. Since then, Steph is committed to challenging the status quo and being an agent of change in public education.

Steph has driven RAS's tremendous growth in Missouri, expanding our partnerships from one to ten over the past 2.5 years.

Steph believes that real growth is rooted in relationships. She emphasizes that embracing the unknown and being willing to "make the ask" is crucial, whether engaging with district leaders or collaborating across internal departments.

For superintendents thinking about expanded learning partnerships, her approach is simple: every district has a different vision for out-of-school time, and the right partner figures out how to match it. That's the job, and she does it well.

Congratulations, Steph, on your well-deserved GEM Award! 🏆

🏆 Congratulations to April Thomas, Area Manager in York County, VA—one of Right At School's newest GEM Award winners!

April seamlessly manages 10 schools and a team of 57 staff. She's the person principals call when PTA attendance is low and when a family needs a second chance at finding the right fit for their kid.

She is, by every measure, a problem solver.

Her approach to leadership is straightforward: invest in your team the way you want them to invest in the kids. April trains her program managers to own their programs, think independently, and bring forward solutions. The result is a team strong enough that she can step away to support new market launches in Henrico, Hanover, and Orange without York County missing a beat.

She also brings something rare to this work—over 20 years of history with York County schools, going back to her days as Area Manager for another after-school program provider. When Right At School took over programming there, April came with the territory. With a foundation of trust and strong relationships already built, enrollment has grown from roughly 700 to over 1,300 since.

Thank you, April, for all that you do!

Our students in Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District are having tons of fun sketching out ideas, testing them, and reimagining their designs until they bring toys to life!

We can't wait until all of our students will showcase their own inventions at the Toy Lab Expo!

Let’s settle a classic debate: Which backyard toy ruled your childhood?
🏃 Skip-It
💦 Super Soaker
⭕ Hula Hoop

Cast your vote in the comments!

Just like these classics, students in Toy Lab will test, tweak, and reinvent their own ideas, discovering how great toys evolve through play.