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The YES Program and High Achievers Program have been active over the last month providing youth with educational summer experiences through The Office of Afterschool Achievement.
“Our theme this summer overall was Full STEAM Ahead and then each site also had specific themes,” said Sequena Stanton, director of Afterschool Achievement.
The YES Program provided Science, Engineering, Art, and Mathematic (STEAM) activities to over 240 youth between their sites at Lakeview Academy and Oak Hill Middle School. The YES Program is funded by the Georgia Department of Education and is an extension of the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers. The purpose of the program is to offer Baldwin County students an opportunity to engage in academic, social, and physical activities outside of school hours.
“For the YES program we hosted STEAM activities throughout June that teachers began prepping in late April and early May,” said Stanton. “At least 90% of the teachers that work with the program are day-school teachers and then we have a few retired teachers and certified paraprofessionals.”
At Lakeview Academy, students had on-campus activities and field trips throughout the month. Some example activities included: teaching the art of polo, soccer, golf, and other sports; teaching basic cosmetology and barbering skills; teaching forensic science techniques; teaching basic culinary skills; teaching the art of pottery; and so much more. Field trips included visits to Lockerly Auditorium, Museum of Arts and Sciences, Illuminarium, and a virtual field trip.
“Our world is constantly evolving towards technology. Our goal is to prepare our students to be competent, productive global citizens who are capable of influential change makers,” said Dimitra Veal, Lakeview Academy YES site coordinator. “The science, technology, engineering, arts, and math curriculum within our program benefits students by allowing them to accelerate their knowledge while learning how to use inquiry-based learning.”
At Oak Hill Middle School, STEAM activities were paired with weekly challenges and challenges on their field trips. On field trips, students participated in crew scavenger hunts and uploaded their findings to the trip padlet, available to see on the online newsletter. Students visited the Georgia Aquarium, downtown Milledgeville, and the Atlanta Zoo.
“Each day, the students expressed how much fun they had, and this feedback is credited to having the best teachers and staff working with our students,” said Shekita Shinholster, Oak Hill Middle School YES site coordinator. “Students were allowed to take their time to dig, dissect, and gain hands-on experience to discover the scientific principles behind these STEAM concepts. These activities also promoted building lasting relationships, which is an important aspect of middle school. Our students got to nurture positive social skills focusing on mental health and self-esteem alongside building skills related to STEAM.”
The High Achievers Program began apprenticeship- based learning with over 20 participants throughout the summer. Through this apprenticeship, high school students, attending Baldwin County High School or Georgia College Early College, participated in a 4-week summer program and served in support roles to assist in youth camp programming or work with a professional at a local business. This is made possible due to the funding of The High Achievers Program by the GA Department of Human Services and its partnership between Georgia College & State University, the Baldwin County Board of Education and the Milledgeville community.
“This year instead of facilitating our own camp, we decided to support the YES program camps and work with two local programs,” said Kenneth Daniels, coordinator of the High Achievers program.
High Achievers were assigned to a site based on their completion of training, interviews, and turning in forms such as their resume, W-9 form, and more. High schoolers at Lakeview Academy and Oak Hill Middle School served in support roles to assist with teaching or worked with supplies related to the YES program. On the other hand, high schoolers at HC Lake Insurance and Treetop Training were in mentee roles and learned entrepreneurship, marketing, and leadership skills while working directly under a mentor to shadow their tasks on a daily basis.
“The lessons that they learn through these apprenticeships teach them both soft skills and hard skills necessary for the workforce. The majority of the students in the apprenticeship program have only been with High Achievers for two months so during April and May we worked on soft skills, business skills, what you need to do to lead and run a summer camp, and how to work as a team. This also included reading and signing a summer camp handbook, filling out time sheets, and other tasks,” said Daniels. “We will be doing our own camp in the future so this all prepares them for taking on that leadership and pursuing careers in the future.”
According to Stanton, the summer programs have overall been a success with engagement, enrollment, and skill-building within both programs. She expressed how proud she is of each program coordinator and the teachers involved for their dedication and planning for these summer programs.
“Both sites for the YES Program received over the target number of applications so the programs were very well received this year. And for the High Achievers Program, Program Coordinator Kenneth Daniels has done very well with recruitment. So, since COVID, our numbers have also been increasing for High Achievers as well,” said Stanton. “Everyone has done an excellent job to offer our students an enriching and fun summer program.”