POMARIA — The National Summer Learning Association reports that all young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer.
The Youth Education in the Summer program (YES), in Pomaria, works to make sure youths are able to engage in educational activities for five weeks over the summer. This year marks the programs third year in existence.
“The studies do show children do regress during the summer, and teachers have to review on their return to school,” said Charlsie Doolittle, committee member of the program. “So, we attempt to keep youths on track, focus on academic skills so they do not lose skills during the summer.”
The YES program is an academic and language enrichment program to help at-risk children keep pace with their peers. According to Rev. Dr. Derald Edwards, pastor for Pomaria Lutheran and St. John’s Lutheran churches, the program was a vision of Doolittle’s two years before it got started.
“We had an intern who was in seminary who was also instrumental. He had a vision for the program, when he came on board we put our heads together and outlined what wanted the program to be and formed a committee,” Edwards said.
The executive committee was made up of individuals from five area churches was formed. These churches include Pomaria Lutheran, St. John’s Lutheran, Bethlehem Lutheran, St. Paul Lutheran and St. Phillip Lutheran. While the YES committee is made up of five different churches, the program is held at the parsonage of the Pomaria Lutheran Church.
The committee works with the local school systems to measure the growth of children within the program. The specific goals of the project are to increase literacy through academic and socialization skills, provide a safe inviting learning environment, encourage the development of literacy skills through reading, writing and speaking, to involve interns and volunteers both to teach and to learn, to develop awareness and sensitivity in the community through peer relationships and to encourage healthy living and wellness through good nutrition and exercise during the course of the program.
To help enroll students into the program, Doolittle and Barbara Ware worked with the principal of Pomaria-Garmany Elementary School, Lindsey Folk.
“They identified children who were in the most need of the program,” Edwards said.
The program is designed for fourth and fifth graders and this year there are 21 students are enrolled. The program began on June 8 and the students meet every Monday through Thursday.
The students have classes in both math and reading, and they are provided lunch. This year’s teachers are Linda Griffin, a retired teacher who taught math who is currently a tutor, and Beverly Chapman, a teacher at Pomaria-Garmany.
Chapman, who has worked with the program for two years, thinks that YES is a tremendous program that allows students to keep their minds fresh over the summer. She currently is responsible with the reading portion of the program.
“A good thing abut this program is that their are fewer kids than a normal classroom, so I am able to work with them one on one,” she said.
Griffin, the program’s math teacher, agrees with Chapman and likes the fact that the program prevents the youths from falling behind.
Candace Higbe is the mother of Sophie Higbe, age 10, she says she is very grateful to the program and its people.
“My child has a learning disability. This one on one, without so many children at once is awesome. She can be very reserved, and this is good for her,” she said.
The program also provides the students with a free lunch, which is provided by a different church each week.
“The kids are able to pick what they want for lunch, we cater to what they would like to eat,” Doolittle said.
This year, the program has been able to provide transportation to the youths thanks to a federally funded program called GLEAMNS, a child development program. GLEAMNS helps provides the transportation for $1.10 a mile and the cost of gas. Since this program does not cost anything for the families involved, the church handles all the cost.
To help cover the cost, the program receives donations from individuals, businesses and organizations and churches. Edwards and Doolittle also applied for Thrivent Action Team money, which was spent on school supplies.
If you are interested in donating to the program you can do so through the Pomaria Lutheran Church, just earmark any donation YES Program.