WEST AFTER SCHOOL CENTER
NEWS & OPINION

July 2007

Our mission is to provide opportunities that enrich the educational, social, and cultural experiences of students and families in our community.

620 Garfield Avenue, Lancaster, OH  43130  --    740-653-5678  --  740-653-2402 FAX

The Cedar Community Learning Center

                 The West After School Center will expand child care services and 21st CCLC programming for targeted students to the Cedar Heights Elementary attendance area this coming school year. The WASC was awarded an additional 21st CCLC grant this month to make this satellite center a reality. Therefore, the Cedar Center will first enroll students based on their performance in reading and math. In addition, students will be accepted for before or after school childcare. Families that qualify for Title XX childcare support can enroll under a co-pay system developed with Fairfield County Job and Family Services. Participation rates will be made as affordable as possible.  The WASC is pleased to be working in the Cedar Heights area and to further expand our mission and address needs within the city of Lancaster.

Email:  pyoung@westafterschoolcenter.org

Visit us at www.westafterschoolcenter.org

Dr. Paul G. Young, Executive Director

Mrs. Jane Hart, Student & Family Coordinator

Mrs. Julie Bibler, Tutoring Program Administrator

Mrs. Chris Kuttler, Office Manager

OSU Extension Master Gardeners

      If you haven’t driven past our center recently, do so and check out our beautiful gardens both from Garfield Avenue and the alley behind. Despite the dry weather, the fruits of our labors this past May are producing beauty for our neighbors and constituents to enjoy each day. The vegetable garden in the alley is maturing with a variety of produce that will be harvested and used in a long-awaited follow-up lesson — making a vegetable pizza.

       We thank our friends, the Master Gardeners,  for their plants, labor, and great lessons that teach students about their special love for the outdoors.

The Black Dot Project  

The Black Dot Project is a series of artistic interventions focused on teaching children to think critically about advertising and branding, particularly advertisements targeting children that feature sugary junk food and cereals. 5th grade students at the WASC enjoyed Friday learning sessions and can be seen in the blog that documents and archives all Black Dot interventions. The blog is a source of information regarding the integration of the visual arts with media literacy education. The Black Dot Project is an outgrowth of an intervention conducted at Amesville Elementary School in Amesville, Ohio from January, 2005 to May, 2005. This intervention has been documented by artist Stacy Asher at the Black Wonder site.

The WASC is indebted to Alison Colman, community volunteer who also taught at Ohio University, for bringing this program and much more to us.

Learn more, and view wonder pictures at: http://www.blackdotproject.net/

The Black Dot Project

at the West After School Center

Focusing on Community-School Partnerships

The literature and research in the field of education is full of articles and studies that advocate the development of partnerships with schools. In fact, federal legislation from the 90s holds schools responsible for supporting the development of family and community partnerships. The Title I Act created programs dedicated to helping disadvantaged children meet high standards. An important part of that legislation focused on the development of school partnerships with families that improve schools and reinforce the importance of learning. Business partnerships have existed for years, particularly with those schools in proximity of benevolent businesses or others lucky enough to enroll children of influential business people. Most of the research originates from theorists in higher education or non-profit think tanks. Most partnerships are initiated by school personnel and center around activities that are school-based.

But despite federal initiatives and educators’ best intentions to forge school-community partnerships, many students continue to face daunting challenges: dangerous environments, lack of motivation and positive role models, poor nutrition, and inadequate health care. Any one of these can hinder a child's development, impede academic progress, or lead to poor self-esteem. Many children in Lancaster face these challenges, and more, every day. Nearly forty percent of the children in our schools live in poverty, in a city where less than 11% of the total population is identified below that line (2005 Quick Facts, U.S. Census Bureau, Lancaster City Schools). Despite valiant efforts and exemplary partnerships here and elsewhere, many at-risk students have needs that are not being addressed by the schools. Simply put, school personnel just don’t have enough time.

So what can we do? Foremost, we must increase opportunities for all children that extend and enrich their learning day. Research shows that regular attendees of high-quality early childhood education and afterschool programs have better language and math skills, and healthier social-emotional development than their non-participating peers. They are less likely to engage in criminal behavior. They also have higher aspirations. To see real progress, we need to consolidate the efforts of dedicated community advocates - people and organizations that can nurture disadvantaged children from birth into adulthood by continuously building reading, math and creative thinking skills. For Lancaster to be a safe and prosperous community, all children must have learning experiences in the  arts, technology, global-awareness, foreign languages, and extracurricular activities that support those “hidden curriculum” skills essential for promising futures.

After school programs have proven to be a high quality, affordable extension of the school day. Many are a positive example of a community partnership with schools. In fact, some of the best across the nation are community-driven and community-based, not the other way around. Where they work best, they are embraced by school leaders, a vision is shared, and personnel share resources that provide children with safe havens where strong mentoring partnerships reinforce the importance of academics, social skills, and self-esteem. They also keep young people off the streets from 2 to 6 p.m., peak hours for juvenile crime. They are a huge benefit and convenience for working parents.

The past ten years has seen widespread recognition of the value of afterschool programming and tremendous expansion of programs nationally. Opportunities for children and families have spread beyond urban areas to cities like Lancaster. Afterschool programs have moved beyond mere babysitting or childcare. This coming year, 21^st Century Community Learning Centers will serve students at West, East, and Cedar Heights schools. But more are needed. Join us this fall. Volunteers are needed at all our centers. The West After School Center has grown and been sustained by volunteers of all ages committed to the well-being and sustained improvement of their community — helping one student at a time.

From a fifth grade parent: “This is the first  report card my child has received that she was really promoted.  All other times she was placed in the next grade.  I feel this good report card was because of her tutoring at WASC. Thank you.”

Look What’s Happening in July and August at the WASC

· July 3; 9-13; 16-20; 23-27—OU-L Leap Ahead Reading Program, 10-3 each day

· Early Learning Initiative Class, Mon-Thurs. weekly, 9:30-2:30

· WASC Childcare, 6:00 a.m. –6:00 p.m., Monday-Friday

· Summer Lunch Program, 11:30-12:30 daily through August 17

· Completion of Licensure at the Cedar Community Learning Center

· WASC Board of Directors Mtg., August 16

· Collection of WASC vignettes for 10 year anniversary book with Corwin Press

Watch our Television Show on  the LSN

Channel 6 Time Warner Cable

New episodes air at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, right after Jack Greathouse's "STUFF"

Cedar Community Learning Center Job Openings

If you, or someone you know, would be qualified for the positions listed and interested in employment at the new Cedar Community Learning Center, call 653-5678 for an application or download one from our web-site and send it to us with a resume at 620 Garfield Avenue, Lancaster. 

Interviews will be scheduled later this month.

1.0 FTE Social Worker     Part-time Teachers (5 @ 15 hrs.)

1.0 FTE Site Director.      Part-time Paraprofessionals

We Thank Our Partners

Ohio University-Lancaster (Reading Academy)

The Ohio State University Extension   (Master Gardeners)

The Robert K Fox Family Y (Summer Lunch Program and Recreational Opportunities)

Art & Clay on Main (Summer Art Classes)

Eastside Center for Success (Summer Art Classes)

Lancaster-Fairfield County Community Action Head Start (ELI Classes)

New Horizons Youth and Family Center (Conflict Management Training)

Fairfield County Family, Adult, and Children First Council (21st CCLC Program Support)

Fairfield County Jobs and Family Services (custodial workers)

The Recovery Center (Family Nights)

Red Barn Productions

Sixth Avenue United Methodist Church

Eastland-Fairfield Career Center

Fairfield Foundation (Kitchen)

United Way of Fairfield County

The flagship program of the West After School Center is the After School Tutoring Program which targets those students needing additional help in reading and math.  But most other programs and services are open to all students and families of

West Elementary School. 

Phone 740-653-5678 for answers to your questions.