Our DATKids programming contains our largest and longest running programs. Working with youth is, and has always been a priority with Dathouse. Read on to learn about our current programs.

DATKIDS AFTER SCHOOL: For 6 years, in partnership with James A Garfield, IPS 31, our local neighborhood school, we provided after school space for kids in grades K-5 at the school. With IPS rolling out their Rebuilding Stronger plans, we’ve had to adjust our model. Starting in the 24-25 school year, we will be partnering with Brightlane Learning to provide tutoring for many of these same students at The Lincoln Center after school on Mondays and Wednesdays.

DATKIDS ACADEMY: As a response to the challenges of navigating a Covid-19 world, we created a nature-based cottage school tailored for the needs of neurodiverse students. DATKids Academy served as an alternative neurodiverse affirming full curriculum drop off microschool from 2020-2024. It branched off from Dathouse in the fall of 2024 and transitioned into a homeschool co-op program for short time until a few families moved away and the rest decided it was time do go a different direction. Dathouse is ever evolving to meet the needs and strengths of our community so if you have a passion for other alternative and creative models of schooling that we can encourage and partner with, we’d love to have that conversation.

DATKIDS FOR TEENS: Currently, our teen endeavors revolve around empowering young community leaders by hiring interns and youth baristas to cultivate leadership skills and workforce development with teens right here in Bates-Hendricks