Happenings 4 Youth

Safe after-school program in East St. Louis

Cornelius Brown

Thirteen-year-old Cornelius Brown uses much of his after-school time at Clark Middle School for research on class projects. But, he also likes the recreational activities-especially basketball.

At one session last month, 14-year-old Morgeetta Wiley was finishing a poetry project for her language arts class. She also looks forward to the opportunity to play volleyball.

Morgeetta Wiley

Cornelius, Morgeetta and other kids at the East St. Louis, Ill., school are part of Clark's Teen Reach program. That provides kids with a variety of free after-school programs.

Teen Reach is part of an Adventures in Motivation program in East St. Louis. AIM was founded in 1988 to provide youth with additional personal resources to "combat the negative influences prevalent in the East St. Louis area."

(This article is one in an intermittent series describing unique after-school programs that provide positive activities for St. Louis area kids. For more information, visit the Happenings4Youth listing by clicking on Resources at the top of the home page.)

AIM provides a mixture of supplemental academic, recreational and leadership programs. At Clark, the administration of most after-school programs is by classroom teachers. But, on Fridays, YMCA personnel come to run athletic and recreational activities.

AIM also recruits local cultural groups to help kids learn skills such as acting.

Earlier this year, a lot of after-school activity at Clark was focused on helping kids do well in the Illinois State Achievement Tests (ISAT).

For Central Middle kids, that meant using computer-based Study Island programs.

Brenda Ray

Fifteen-year-old Brenda Ray said she thought that after-school tutoring helped when she took the ISAT achievement test in March. "The Study Island lessons had some questions similar to those on the state test," she said.

The AIM program also sponsors summer leadership programs in June and July.

If you'd like to learn more about AIM, call executive director Teri Scott at (618) 271-2515. Or you can write to Adventures in Motivation at 430 Wimmer Place, East St. Louis, Ill., 62205.

Another goal of AIM is to provide "safe havens" for kids at places where they are secure from crime and drug activity. Within those safe environments, kids can then take part in tutorial services, life-skills learning and recreation.

Mia Muhammad

For 14-year-old Mia Muhammad, the after-school program gives her an extra chance to use the new computers at Clark school. The school's computer rooms give kids internet access for both research and for games.

Eighth-grader Mia said one of her favorite internet websites is www.quia.com. She said that site has lessons in the form of competitive games. For instance, the instruction about American presidents was in the form of a "hanging man" game.

This website lets kids in the same classroom compete with each other.

Mia said the game format provide a good learning contrast to regular classroom work.

She said the Study Island exercises helped her when she took the ISAT tests. But, she and others admitted those practice lessons "were a little too much like regular homework."

Deborah Dunwart is a language arts teacher at Clark. She also helps supervise Teen Reach kids after-school in her classroom. The room contains 15 new internet-connected computers.

Ms. Dunwart said the after-school program is a big help to kids who have limited or no personal internet access.

Eighth grader Brenda Ray said she's used the school computers to research a variety of class projects. Included were reports on the Underground Railroad and Declaration of Independence. She also made a fake wanted poster to tell about a noted scientist.

Seventh-grader Cornelius Brown has used the internet to research a project on Black History. He also was looking up information about ancient Rome for a class presentation.

But, in one session last month, he admitted he was surfing for "funny stuff." The after school period allows for that also.

The AIM program also has activities for parents interested in their kids' development.

The Parents Are Vital in Education (PAVE) is for parents of kids enrolled in at least one AIM program. This program urges parents to get involved in "creating a positive relationship between home and school."