43
After-school program offers ‘self-importance’
The Vindicator (Youngstown)
Photo
Mayor Jay Williams speaks with children about the importance of school and his job as mayor during an afterschool program at Christ Church Presbyterian Church.
The Vindicator (Youngstown)
Photo
Second Grader, Kevin Myers, 8, works with volunteer, Wanda Smith, of Youngstown, on math work during an afterschool program at Christ Church Presbyterian Church on Wednesday evening.
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Children involved in the Operation Learning Community Program get tutoring for their schoolwork as well as a sense of belonging.
The program provides tutoring to second- and third-grade Kirkmere Elementary School students after school three days per week at Christ Church Presbyterian Church, Canfield Road. There are 13 children enrolled.
“They do their homework, and I make lesson plans based on their individual needs to bring them up to grade level,” said teacher Megan Hosseininejad, who also is a parity tutor at Kirkmere.
Students are referred by teachers or the principal.
Hosseininejad has seen positive changes in the students involved.
“I think one thing is not even the educational aspect — it gives them a sense of belonging,” she said. “They belong to an exclusive group. Everyone knows about the group, but we only ask a certain number to join. It just gives them that sense of self-importance, and that’s so important to the kids of Youngstown.”
Judith Lobaugh, program director, said OLCP started eight years ago at Victory Lutheran Church. The programs offers a 1-to-1 student-to-tutor ratio.
Buses bring the children from school to the church where their parents pick them up.
Kirkmere Principal Donna Cox-Bing said it’s been a good partnership with all of the parties involved, and it benefits the students.
Wanda Smith, a guidance counselor, is one of the volunteer tutors, and she works with Kevin Myers, 8, a second-grader.
On an afternoon last week, the pair was working on math homework — addition, subtraction and decimal points.
Kevin says his favorite subject is math.
Smith started tutoring two years ago. She learned about the program after conducting a seminar about bullying in schools and decided to get involved.
Operation Learning Community Program Inc. is a faith-based, nonprofit organization. The teacher is the only paid personnel. It relies on grants, individual donations and in-kind sponsorship. More information is available at the website www.olcpinc.org. Donations may be sent to OLCP Inc., P.O. Box 11233, Youngstown, OH 44511.
Matt Jamison of Canfield, a sophomore at Cardinal Mooney High School, works with Allen Underwood, 7, a second-grader.
Allen runs down the list of words in his workbook and sounds out long- and short-vowel sounds. He enjoys reading, but his favorite subject is math, Allen says.
Same goes for Dillon Clark, 8, who is in third grade. He was working with tutor Rachel Mullis, who’s been with the program for four years.
“I love kids, and my kids don’t need help anymore, and I needed to find kids to help,” Mullis said.
After finishing his math work, Dillon was writing in his journal about what he would do on a snow day when school was canceled.
“He’s a good writer,” Mullis said.
Dillon wrote that he would have a snowball fight “with my mom or my friend next door” then drink some hot chocolate and go to sleep.
The Rev. Hosea Ekong of Victory Lutheran initiated the program eight years ago after learning that children in the church’s confirmation classes couldn’t read.
The children would leave the class one by one, and the Rev. Mr. Ekong initially thought he was a bad teacher.
“An elderly woman in the church said, ‘You know what’s going on, don’t you?’”Mr. Ekong said.
He didn’t, and the woman told him that the children couldn’t read.
Mr. Ekong started to talk with Lobaugh, and the idea for the tutoring program was born.
It moved this year to Christ Church Presbyterian, and the Rev. Benjamin Graves said the program’s need for new space came at the same time the church was looking for ways to reach out to the community.
“It was really an answered prayer for both of us,” the Rev. Mr. Graves said.