Two Oxford High School seniors, Hallie Ingram and Maddie Lowery, recently established an after-school program called Charger Champions for English Learner students at Central Elementary School and Oxford Intermediate School.

This new program features tutoring opportunities in math, along with exposure to a variety of sports, such as cricket, pickleball, basketball, and soccer.

“Maddie and I helped create Charger Champions because we wanted to form a community where kids can learn, play, and feel loved,” Ingram said. “These past few weeks with the kids at Charger Champions have been so fun, and we are already building so many connections.”

“I look forward to Charger Champions each week. It is so special getting to know kids from all different cultures and who speak different languages,” Lowery added. “Charger Champions has allowed me to continue serving kids by helping with math homework or playing a game of soccer with EL students.”

Mary Claude Simons and Evie Bledsoe from Central Elementary are leading the tutoring efforts for the Charger Champions program.

Dr. Laura Prior from the University of Mississippi’s School of Education coordinates the various extracurricular sports activities. A donation from Jimbo McNeely of BankFirst helped sponsor jerseys for the students participating in this new program.

“I am excited about the program because we are able to break down walls and cultural barriers using laughter and joy. We play math games during tutoring in hopes that the students realize that math is fun,” Simons said. “We incorporate sports in hopes to expose them to some new games, teach them new skills, and create a space for them to have fun with their peers. We want to create a sense of belonging by building relationships outside the classroom. We are just at the beginning, so we are excited to see the impact it can have on our kids.”

For additional information regarding the Charger Champions program, contact Dr. Nikki Logan at mnlogan@oxfordsd.org.