43
Program inspires success
Students participate in summer enrichment program
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
While many young people while away their summer days playing computer games, Williamson Elementary School third-graders Jaden Naze, 7, and Quentin Carter, 8, used computers for math problems.
“I got it right again,” Quentin said as a message on the computer screen congratulated him, encouraging him to continue.
Both boys were among the 75 city school elementary third- through eighth-graders participating Thursday in Inspiring Minds summer enrichment program. The program, which includes math, writing and sports activities as well as field trips and character-building exercises, began June 22 and runs Monday through Friday until July 31.
This is the first time Inspiring Minds, which started in Warren nine years ago, has been involved in the city schools. It will continue during the school year with an after-school program.
Quentin and Jaden were among a group of younger boys engrossed in the math program while instructors stood by, offering assistance when needed.
Jaden says math and reading are his favorite subjects in school. He was testing his skills in expansion programs, breaking down a large number into smaller figures: 4,215, for example, equals 4,000 + 200 + 10 + 5.
He said he’s learned other things, too.
“Being good,” he said, explaining that means being “nice to others.”
For Quentin, math ranks right up there with gym and dodgeball as his favorite parts of his days during the program.
Tim Frost, executive director of Youngstown’s Inspiring Minds program, said Inspiring Minds’ objective is to build the children’s self-esteem.
“We try to give them that strong foundation and equip them with the tools to build their own future,” he said.
The program tries to help students define what success looks like for them, Frost said. It doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone.
Along the way, they practice the Inspiring Minds Code. No phones, hats or headphones are allowed. Students have to keep their pants pulled up, be respectful, keep their hands to themselves, make eye contact when they speak to someone, say please and thank you and “Yes” and “No” rather than “Yeah” and “Nah,” and boys should let ladies go first.
“If you don’t have discipline, everything else is useless,” Frost said.
He’s a city native, attending East High School until it closed in the late 1990s. He graduated from Ursuline High School.
He had moved to Florida but returned to Youngstown to be part of Inspiring Minds.
“I came back because this was an opportunity for me to give back to the city of my youth,” Frost said.
Mari’Sol Rivera, 7, and Dailmyria Armstrong, 8, both third-graders at Martin Luther King and Taft elementary schools, respectively, spent part of Thursday in creative writing.
When the prompt asked students to write about a person they would most like to have lunch with and why, Dailmyria chose Nicki Minaj.
“She’s my favorite singer and my favorite rapper,” she explained.
Mari’Sol’s favorite activity so far has been a field trip to go swimming. She said she’s having fun and learning, too.
She’s learned “to follow instructions the first time they’re given,” she said.