Summer
Learning
Students taking advantage of classes, activities
By AMY L. DAVILA
amyd@valleystar.com
956-430-6281
SAN
BENITO — Brenda Cortez got a manicure and started baking brownies
for 300 people on a recent Tuesday morning.
Even though baking and nail hygiene are part of some people’s summers,
Brenda, 16, is one of the few who gets to do these things in school.
"My favorite is cooking class," Brenda said. "It is so
much fun."
The school district’s afterschool program, which is funded through
a 21st Century grant and a Cameron Works grant, is providing about 1,000
students with classes and learning activities through its summer camp
program.
"This has been our largest summer yet," Project Grad Director
Luis Gonzales said. "During the year, the department serves about
3,000 students total. However this year, the summer has been expanded."
The six-week camp offers students — kindergarten through 12th-grade
— classes ranging from arts and crafts to nutrition for younger
grades as well as guitar lessons and kung fu for the older students.
"We give our older ones more flexibility as to what they can take
because they are older," Gonzales said. "And to minimize the
amount of time spent in a classroom, we also take the students on field
trips."
Erika Ramos, 17, has really enjoyed the field trips and learning new things.
"I really had fun at the Challenger Center and bowling," Ramos
said about the recreation of a space shuttle. "I didn’t even
know the Challenger Center was here (in San Benito). Also yesterday, we
went to the courthouse and I liked that too. Even though the classes are
fun, the trips are great."
The summer camp is funded by a $50,000 grant from Cameron Works and other
grants that total $2.7 million.
"We get about $873,000 for each (of the three sites) the afterschool
projects are located at," Gonzales said. "And they are each
funded by three different grants and serve five different schools."
The grants fund free lunches for the students and pays for staff to help
during the camp, which includes paraprofessionals, some high school students
and community members.
One of the community members is Robert Villegas, 22, who spends half of
his days this summer teaching the camp students how to play the guitar.
"I have loved to play guitar ever since I was little," the 16-year
player said. "I also love kids, so I thought what a better way to
spend my time."
Gonzales said the afterschool program also serves to scout for potential
instructors during the school year, which Villegas hopes to do.
"I hope they call me back during the year," he said. "It’s
a great opportunity to work with the students, and I want to keep doing
it."
The classes help students stay occupied during the summer vacation months.
"I am sure if these kids weren’t here they would be at home
in front of the TV," Gonzales said. "This is a way to get them
up, out and learning. They may not know they are learning because it is
fun, but they are."
Classes for younger participants include games and puppet shows that act
like a motivational tool, but more is done to reach the older audiences,
Gonzales said.
"The hardest ones to motivate are the high school students,"
he said. "That is why we are flexible with them and everyone seems
to enjoy the classes."
This article was taken from Valley Morning Star
on 7/7/05.