On A Friday after school, Gloria Rodríguez Soto talks to the mentors of the Providence Center, asks them to get the students in single file lines, and walk to their respective classrooms. The kids of Julia de Burgos Bilingual Elementary School are particularly rowdy on Fridays – they don’t have that much homework and they can start to taste the liberty of the weekend. Once in their classroom some of the kids do homework, others colors and some play.
Miss Alexa!
Miss Brittany!
Miss Amanda!
The students call their high school mentors if they have any doubts in their assignments or want another coloring book.
The Providence Center is an after school program that gives follow-up to the kids of Julia De Burgos Bilingual Elementary School at Kensington, Philadelphia. Gloria Rodriguez Soto has been the director of the program for the past 6 years. According to Gloria the purpose of the program is to provide the appropriate follow-up for the students.
The School District of Philadelphia has too many students and cannot make sure every one of them is doing well. This is where afterschool programs step in and try to lend a hand so less students fall behind. In the case of Julia De Burgos Elementary the students are mainly behind in reading.
The tutoring and care of the children is provided by high school students. The mentors are not only there to help academically, but to set an example of a successful high school student.
Amanda Capra, a home-schooled 17 year old, has worked for the program for two years now. “I like the kids, each of them, are so different but they come together”. Amanda originally joined the program in order to get out of the house and get to know more people.
“We have to learn to work with each other, in order to work with the kids”, says Brittany Kelsh, a sophomore from the Military Academy. Brittany admits that they have to be very patient and repeat themselves constantly. Amanda Velez, who is newer in the program explains, “We try to do the best we can, but you don’t know what these kids go home to”.
94 percent of the school’s students are economically disadvantaged. “Our parents here in this area are struggling”, says Gloria. For her it is important to know what goes on in the students’ home, in order to understand their behavior.
The program has showed great success in the past years. However, it is challenging at times because of lack of support from the school and the parents. Yet, the progress and success of students is the reason that Gloria doesn’t quit. To know that because of this program they will have a greater opportunity to succeed in high school means everything. Gloria admits, “I don’t like my job all the time, but I love my kids”.
No comments:
Post a Comment