Building Skills for School and Life
Empowering students through practical math support, culinary confidence, and community mentorship.
Empowering Students
Waterloo Wayside’s after-school initiative combines fundamental academic support with hands-on life skills. Through JUMP Math and our Cooking Club, elementary students build both classroom confidence and practical independence. We bring math to life by turning abstract concepts into tangible experiences—showing students how the fraction arithmetic learned in their math sessions applies directly to real-world tasks, like doubling or tripling fractional quantities of ingredients in the kitchen. By connecting numeracy to everyday recipes, students discover that learning is both useful and delicious.
Program Schedule
Our unified after-school program runs in alignment with the school calendar, providing a consistent and structured routine for participating families. Students can be registered for Mondays, Thursdays or both.
When:
Mondays: 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM (JUMP Math + Cooking Club)
Thursdays: 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM (JUMP Math only)
A Walking School Bus meets students at MacGregor Senior Public School at 2:50 PM Dismissal
Where: Emmanuel United Church, 22 Bridgeport Rd W, Waterloo
Who: MacGregor Senior Elementary School students in Grades 7&8
Cost: Free of charge to all families (all learning materials, food, and equipment provided)
Community & Volunteer Driven
Strong community partnerships are at the heart of our success. Our JUMP Math sessions are supported by dedicated volunteers from the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Waterloo Region’s local technology sector, giving students access to enthusiastic, tech-savvy mentors. Meanwhile, our Cooking Club is led by talented student instructors from the Culinary Arts Program at Conestoga College, who bring professional kitchen expertise, nutrition knowledge, and food safety standards to every session.
Safe & Supportive Space
We are committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment where every student can thrive. Supervised transition options—including our Walking School Bus from MacGregor Senior Public School —ensure students arrive safely after the bell rings. With low student-to-mentor ratios, comprehensive background checks for all team members, and a supportive, non-competitive atmosphere, every child receives individual attention, encouragement, and a warm meal before heading home.
How To Register
Enrollment is open to Grade 7&8 elementary students in the local community, though spaces are limited to maintain small group sizes.
To Enroll Your Child: Please [download the Registration Form (PDF)].
Once completed, you can submit your application in one of two ways:
Email: Send the filled-out form to afterschool@waterloowayside.org.
In Person: Drop off your paper form at Emmanuel United Church during Wayside operating hours.
To Become a Volunteer: If you are a university student, tech professional, or community member interested in tutoring or assisting in the kitchen, visit our Volunteer Portal to apply.