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You
are here: Community Schools:
Arts and Academics After School
by Joel Isaksen
Students working together at the John Muir Homework Center
Our children spend more than 20 percent of their waking hours in the halls and classrooms of our schools, facing new challenges and the increasing demands of education in our fast paced society. As parents we all hope that we are providing our children and our schools with the tools and resources they need to be successful in their education. Yet the reality of education has shown us that our schools have been under funded and ill prepared to face the demands of a new educational landscape. With our federal and state governments embracing standards based testing school districts across our nation have had to face the stark reality of increased curriculum loads for the classroom while their overall budgets are slashed at an alarming rate. The barriers to educational success are only multiplied in communities that have been disenfranchised by social, economic, and racial divisions. The situation sounds bleak but it has been challenging environments like this that some communities have taken solid steps to address the disparity in public education across the city and attempt to strike a balance between academic achievement and access to quality arts enrichment programs.
As the bell rings through the halls of a South Seattle school the children scatter in several directions to continue their day. Some head toward the buses or the onsite childcare center, and others linger in front of the building as their parents rush to meet them. Some students, at a lucky few schools, may have the added opportunity to wander down to the school cafeteria where they are met by a Powerful Schools' Site Coordinator to get fueled with a snack before they head off to get homework assistance or choose from one of several academic and enrichment programs for the evening. In this scenario the school that used to be vacant during the evening has become a place were the community congregates for youth and family activities.
Through the school year Powerful Schools' Community Schools programs have sought to expand the learning environment and opportunities for quality after-school programming in some of Seattle's most diverse communities. The families at these schools have come to see Powerful Schools as a partner in the success of their children. Each afternoon they have access to quality programs designed to educate and empower.
The Powerful Schools Model
Formed in 1991, Powerful Schools is an award-winning non-profit coalition dedicated to transforming some of the most challenged public elementary schools into powerful learning environments. Powerful Schools implements five school-based programs: Powerful Writers, Powerful Arts, Powerful Buddies, Powerful Readers and Community Schools. Each has been developed and shaped by the guiding principles of Powerful Schools: high expectations for every child; literacy skills as the foundation for learning; a caring, consistent adult for every child; and a full-range of educational strategies and performance measures. These programs are supported by a diversified funding base, which includes donations from corporations, foundations and individuals.
Powerful Schools serves five elementary schools in the Rainier Valley, one of Seattle's most racially and economically diverse communities. Of the 1700 students who attend these schools, an average of 85.4 percent are of color, 58.6 percent receive free or reduced lunch, 52.8 percent are from single-parent households, and 15.9 percent are ESL students. Over 37 percent of the total student body has special needs. The families within the Powerful Schools speak 18 different languages, and up to 35 percent of the students are highly transient, changing schools each year.
Since Powerful Schools' inception 13 years ago, our mission has been not only to develop a successful model of school reform, but also to expand and replicate the strategy in other school communities. Our efforts towards family and community involvement, teacher training, program evaluation, arts education and student assessment have received statewide and national awards and recognition.
Since the inception of Powerful Schools the Community School programs have been improving student learning and strengthening the entire learning environment (family and neighborhood) as well as providing a strong connective program for the overall coalition of schools. Powerful Schools is able to multiply its reach by being present at several sites. Meaning that hundreds of individuals are able to support or participate in program that would otherwise be left with fewer academic and enrichment options.
The Community Schools Programs
Over the years families and schools have enjoyed the innovative school day Literacy, Mentoring and Arts programming developed for this diverse South Seattle community.
With the support and resources of community partners such as the Seattle Public Schools Office of Community Learning, and the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods the Community Schools programs were established as a leading model both locally and nationally in after-school programming. What has set them apart from most other community school programs is their ability to not only reach out to school–aged children but also to provide opportunities for preschoolers, teens, adults, school families and the community at large to participate in their neighborhood schools.
Many of the Community Schools programs strive to nurture creativity, promote dialogue and spark critical thinking in the students through mixed offerings of academic and enrichment activities. These programs effectively draw on the strength of the Powerful Schools' model that fortifies connectivity and support for individual classrooms. Class offerings that support the work that is being done in classrooms as well as with outside resources that strive to involve parents and community members in the schools they serve.
The Community Schools program strives to support the coordination and utilization of the 4 schools' internal resources as well as providing opportunities for the surrounding community to invest in the promotion of lifelong learning for the whole community. There are a broad range of classes and topics which students may choose from including computer skills, Gymnastics, Math and Science programs, Basketball, Writing, Photography, Choir and Drama classes, Homework tutoring, language programs, English as a Second Language (ESL) and many others.
Traditionally the after school programs have emphasized a balance of enrichment and academic pursuits. Community Schools programs like our "Kung-Fu for the Family" "Future Athletes of Tomorrow Basketball Camp" and Gymnastics reinforce positive behavior, positive attitude, confidence and self esteem as well as have added physical and social benefits for the youth in our community.
Student Participate in "Future Athletes of Tomorrow Basketball Camp"
Research shows that in addition to strong enrichment programs, academic assistance is crucial to student success. In response to these findings the Community Schools program supports homework assistance programs at each of its sites, which provides students with crucial study skills and homework help needed for academic success. To further academic achievement, the Community Schools provides programs like "Explorations in Math," "Explorations in Chess," and "Science Club" to experience the importance of hands-on activities designed to develop problem solving, logical reasoning and critical thinking skills for continued achievement.
At a time when arts based curriculums have been greatly de-emphasized in the current standard-based learning model art classes such as our "Comics and Cartooning", "Writers Club," "Book Craft," and "Mixed Media Art" have allowed children to explore artistic interest in a variety of creative and imaginative ways. In addition to these classes Community Schools participants have consistently expressed a desire to explore the people and cultures of our community. Classes such as "Global Art," "Threadwork and Embroidery," "East African Cooking" and "Spanish Club" give children a chance to delve into several cultures to explore and better understand the world in which they live. The Community Schools program also sponsors summer language camps, which attracts a diverse student body into a fun activity-based instruction in language and culture of Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and Arabic. It is hoped that with this greater understanding and exposure to the wealth of diversity of our community we might be able to understand and honor each other and the contributions we all make.
A Multi-cultural event at Whitworth Elementary Brings the Community Together
Assessment
Community Schools assesses the effectiveness of its offerings through ongoing student/parent/community surveys conducted in partnership with Evergreen Research Institute, Seattle Public Schools' Office of Community Learning, and the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. The results to date indicate students engaged in after school academic and enrichment programs have greater success in their educational and social endeavors. Furthermore, our efforts to include parent and community involvement in the schools have resulted in the students' ability to sustain their success.
Supporting a Caring Community
The Community Schools programs have become a tool to further academic achievement and ignite sparks of creativity in our community. Our strength has been our ongoing responsiveness to community needs as well as being a deliberately inclusive means of expression. Youth and adults alike are offered the opportunity to strive for ways to connect with the passions and interests that stir their hearts.
Joel Isaksen is the Community Schools Program Manager with Powerful Schools. For questions or comments please contact him by e-mail at jisaksen@powerfulschools.org
©June 2004 New Horizons for Learning
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