This project will provide reading and writing support for 30 middle schoolers who are not prepared to enter high school and are at high risk for drop out. By sixth and seventh grade, these students still cannot read or write well enough to do classwork or homework. The project will provide after school programming with fun and enriching activities that teach both reading and writing skills as well as a love of learning.
Canoa is a rural coastal town where classroom sizes can reach up to 40 students, leaving behind many children with learning difficulties. Teachers have little time or resources to level these students. We have identified students in 6th through 9th grade who still cannot read and write adequately. This disparity can cause low self-esteem, hopelessness, and high risk for drop out. These are often students who come from homes where they may face negligence, substance abuse or extreme poverty.
Our goal is to get all students to their reading level and prepared to enter high school. For two hours, each afternoon Monday through Friday, Alegrate Staff will guide students through fun and educational reading and writing activities. We will also provide English, yoga, art and sports to ensure that the children spend some time in a loving, enriching environment before returning home. We hope they will find the confidence and self-esteem they need to carry themselves through to graduation.
A high school degree is a minimum requirement for most serious work that provides health insurance in our area. Each student that graduates from high school is more likely to find work or continue their studies, and less likely to fall into social problems often related to poverty, such as substance abuse and early pregnancy. In the long run, we hope to contribute to the quality of life for Canoa's next generation by providing them the tools they need to be successful adults.
