A PLACE TO PLAY.
A SPORT TO DISCOVER.
A SCHOOL TO REPRESENT.
Strive beyond the scoreboard.
WHO WE ARE
beyondCONNECTIONS is a community intermediary, a local company that helps government, nonprofits, youth businesses, and funders put their resources to work, together. We build out-of-school-time programs for students, running some ourselves and delivering the rest with providers already doing good work in communities. We are all better together.
We Employ the People
Instructors and site staff are hired, trained, screened and paid by beyondCONNECTIONS, then placed in a single school for the year. We hire from both the schools and communities we serve, as well as from local colleges & universities.
We Work Inside Schools
Programs run in the buildings families already trust, under district policy, on the district calendar - not across town, and not on any one partner's terms. Families are the focal point of the program goals and format.
We Hold the Costs Down
Subsidized club fees are available thanks to generous donor gifts and resources from cities, counties, and philanthropic organizations. Reduced league fees are available through donations and sponsorships.
Our Mission
To give every student a place to go, something meaningful to do, and a community where they belong beyond the school day.
Our Vision
A city that treats the hours after the bell as a shared responsibility, not one more thing schools are left to cover alone. Where a family’s income, work schedule, or address never decides whether a child gets to play, create, or build.
WHY WE EXIST
The school day ends at 3:00. The workday does not.
Keeping children active, supported, and in safe, structured programs is a shared responsibility. Schools, cities, community organizations, and funders each bring critical pieces. beyondCONNECTIONS brings them together.
We serve as the intermediary: aligning partners, identifying gaps, connecting resources, securing sustainable funding, and helping turn good programs into accessible opportunities for children and families. We do not replace the organizations already doing the work. We help them work together, remove barriers, and build solutions that last.
We are starting with sports because the need is clear. Kids participate when sports are fun. Families participate when programs are affordable, accessible, and fit into real life.
That is what we are building: fewer barriers, stronger connections, and more opportunities for every child to play.
WHERE THE WORK HAPPENS
Beyond the Bell
Beyond the Bell is an afterschool program, now coordinated by Tacoma Public Schools and delivered with community partners in all 36 elementary schools across the city. It is the front door for families: one registration, one schedule, one place to ask questions.
The district continues to recruit additional program providers and funding, both to widen what students can choose from and to keep the cost within reach for Tacoma families.
For a provider, working inside the system lowers overhead. Registration, space, transportation, and family communication are already handled, so an organization can offer what it already does well without rebuilding the machinery around it.
The work has drawn national attention. Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott recognized Dr. Josh Garcia, the school board, and district staff for their Whole Child commitment to Tacoma’s young people, and her gift helped bolster Beyond the Bell.
beyondCONNECTIONS runs the sport and recreation clubs inside it. Our instructors are hired, trained, and paid by us, screened in accordance with district policy, and assigned to one school for the year, creating consistency and familiarity within the learning environment.
ONE FAMILY OF PROGRAMS
How children can connect with their school communities
We act as a vital intermediary, bridging the gap between government, nonprofits, and local businesses. By aligning resources and expertise, we create meaningful opportunities for Tacoma students that extend far beyond the school day.
Strive Beyond the Scoreboard.
After-school sports and recreation clubs and school-based recreational leagues at local elementary schools.
beyondCONNECTIONS is a CivicPARTNERS company: a Washington social purpose corporation working with municipalities, public agencies and school districts.
Create Beyond the Canvas.
Arts programming is in development. Launch date: Pending
Discover Beyond the Data.
Arts programming is in development. Launch date: Pending
Our Network
We partner with local government, nonprofits, and youth businesses to create a unified ecosystem of support for Tacoma students.
