VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: After-school program gains recognition in Syracuse
Elliot Pototsky: The school week isn’t so bad for these Syracuse kids. That’s because they get an extra recess the moment they step off that school bus.
Carlos Tearney: I saw some different programs that had summer camps and after-school programming, and I told myself that this is some stuff I could possibly create for our community, but also create it for my own kids.
Pototsky: They call it GR8 KIDZ. It’s an after-school care program where children who are between Kindergarten and Fourth grade socialize after school. Tearney aims to give them the opportunity to form healthy habits that will make them successful young adults.
Tearney: We want great kids to become great adults and to become great leaders someday. Our whole theme behind what we do is based on that.
Pototsky: And what they’re doing is working. Following a successful 2025, the program took home CenterState CEO’s 2026 Business of the Year Award. But the awards mean little compared to the impact. And there is a chant in the program that proves just that.
Bryson Blair: They say, “We are.” We say, “the best.” They say, “Hard work.” We say, “pays off.” Then they say, “We never.” We say, “give up.” And those are words I live by.
Pototsky: And parents are noticing the program’s impact as well.
Shannon McAdam: It just shows that they can make good friends, make good choices. They stay active. They’re always on the go. So it’s really good for kids.
Pototsky: Good for parents, great for kids, and even better for the community.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — When Carlos Tearney opened his new after-school care program, GR8 KIDZ, 10 years ago, his vision slowly became a reality.
“We want great kids to become great adults and to become great leaders someday,” Tearney said. “Our whole theme behind what we do is based on that.”
A decade later, the program is being noticed. Earlier this month, GR8 KIDZ received the CenterState CEO’s 2026 Business of the Year Award.
Designed for students in kindergarten through fourth grade, GR8 KIDZ gives children a place to socialize, stay active, and develop positive habits after school hours. The idea blossomed shortly after Tearney began observing other youth programs when his children were younger.
“I saw some different programs that had summer camps and after-school programming, and I told myself that this is some stuff I could possibly create for our community, but also create it for my own kids,” Tearney said.
On top of being able to exercise and socialize, many of the children gain confidence and learn about important values like teamwork.
Split Rock Elementary School third-grader Bryson Blair described a motivational chant that the children and staff recite together.
“They say, ‘We are.’ We say, ‘the best.’ They say, ‘Hard work.’ We say, ‘pays off.’ Then they say, ‘We never.’ We say, ‘give up,’” Blair said. “Those are words I live by.”
Parents also say GR8 KIDZ has made a difference in their children’s lives. Shannon McAdam, whose daughter attends the program, said the environment encourages children to make positive choices while staying engaged and active after school.
“It’s really good for kids,” McAdam said.
