Those interested in donating to CODA may do so here.
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We live in a time when our kids in Southern West Virginia struggle with many difficult life situations. Many children today are being raised by tired grandparents, have parents who are absent, in active addiction, or incarcerated, and are struggling with increased instances of depression and anxiety. Our kids need guidance, and our kids need programs that will help them grow academically and emotionally.
I am so proud that CODA Mountain Academy operates in Fayette County. They have done an incalculably positive service to the kids of our county by providing quality after-school and summer enrichment programs.
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CODA has faced recent financial cuts to their programs, and they are going to have a fundraiser benefit for their program in October.
Below I am including information from CODA regarding the situation they are facing financially as well as some details about the work they are doing in our community.
“Programs offered in 2024/2025
In 2024/2025 Coda Mountain Academy:
● served over 500 at-risk youth and their families
● Provided 25 weeks of after-school programs across 3 schools including
○ Bowling (partnership with Pinheads)
○ Music
○ Art, crafts and digital art
○ Sewing
○ Hiking/Disc Golf (partnership with Active Southern WV)
○ Lego robotics
○ Competitive robotics (our team placed in top 3 in state for the last three
years)
○ Song writing
○ Drones
○ Arduino
● 4 weeks of summer camps
○ Fine Arts Littles
○ Fine Arts Kidz
○ Fine Arts Teens
○ Explore Kidz & Explore Teens (same week)
● Grandfamily support program
○ (for grandparents raising grandkids)
● private music lessons facilitation
● faith based youth group
■ year round (ecumenical, non-denominational, safe place for kids to
explore or grow in faith)
○ youth leadership development program
■ (high schoolers receive professional development training and mentoring
and work as interns in the program – at first as volunteers and then some
move into a paycheck)
Fayette County Schools Data
2023/2024 School-Year
Coda collected:
● General Summative Assessment data
○ ELA, Reading, and Science
● attendance and behavioral referrals
● parent surveys
● WVEIS data
○ gender, race, age, grade, socio-economic status, and attendance regarding the Coda program activities and school.
Highlights of data (more in attached report)
Math: Coda students improved their math scores by an impressive 16% in the school year 2023/2024, finishing 2% higher than the county average. Fifty-four percent of Coda students with outcome data demonstrated growth in math.
These numbers confirm that Coda serves many students who are struggling with math and are below county averages when they start with the program. Music and Lego robotics both develop math skills.
However, maybe more importantly, the confidence and improved socio-emotional health from having a safe place to belong become the platform for success in so many arenas of learning and life.
English Language Arts: Coda students improved their ELA scores by 3% in the school year 2023/2024, finishing 6% higher than the county average. Fifty-nine percent of the Coda students with outcome data demonstrated growth in ELA. Students write in journals at two of our programs and the competitive robotics team compiles an engineering and design journal
Behavior Referrals: Coda has far exceeded its goals in reducing discipline referrals. In SY23/24, discipline referrals of BFT students went down by 82% in the same year that Fayette County School averages for discipline referrals nearly doubled.”
It is clear from the data collected by CODA that their programs are positively affecting our kids in major ways! Less absenteeism, greater academic scores, lower drop-out rates, and an 82% drop in discipline referrals for kids enrolled in the program when compared to their peers who are not.
We must work to preserve great programs like CODA Mountain Academy. It is critically necessary that we come together as a community to support CODA and ensure that their funding remains strong so that they can continue their important work with our children!
I am asking all local business owners and concerned citizens to join me in attending this benefit and/or consider making a donation to CODA.
Delegate Elliott Pritt (R)-Fayette
Assistant Majority Leader
West Virginia House of Delegates
