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KIDS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ยป At the after-school program at PS 335 in Brooklyn, children participating in a Building Healthy Communities project came up with the idea to create a workout video to encourage their families and other students to exercise, and to demonstrate that it can be fun. The kids in the after-school program perceived a genuine need among families with limited resources to find engaging ways to exercise. Kids chose the music and invented the choreography for the video, working in step and hip hop dance moves. They invited their families and community members to the taping, and distributed the finished videos to all the families and students in their after-school program. |
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After-school programs - TASC programs and others - are like schools and community centers. They are institutions which contribute to the health and vigor of communities and make everyone's lives better and safer.
In a more literal way, programs strengthen communities by the good works that kids do, as part of their after-school education in civic literacy.
Every kid wants to be a hero. In after-school, they find their chances. Kids, and the adults who inspire them, devote energy and passion to carrying out authentic service projects that change lives in material ways. They plant community gardens, beautify playgrounds, serve meals on holidays and educate neighbors about healthy living. Kids cross generational lines to keep company with and learn from senior citizens. Maturing teens volunteer to read to younger kids and help them with their homework.
Service projects build morale not only among kids, but also among the adults who guide them and others who strive to make changes in their communities. The good works of kids in after-school programs are sources of pride for whole schools.
Kids possess an innate desire to do important deeds and come to the aid of others. Recognized for admirable behavior, they bloom. With each success, community-building programs grow in popularity as after-school activities. And while service may be its own reward, learning is an excellent bonus.
Kids possess an innate desire to do important deeds and come to the aid of others. Recognized for admirable behavior, they bloom. With each success, community-building programs grow in popularity as after-school activities. And while service may be its own reward, learning is an excellent bonus.
