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900 students get extra opportunities to sharpen skills
YOUNGSTOWN
About 900 Youngstown City Schools students remain in their seats after the last bell rings.
They are staying to better their math and reading skills through the district’s free after-school program. The sessions make use of i-Ready, a computer program dedicated to sharpening students’ minds through fun learning exercises.
Anita Romeo, Taft Elementary School fifth-grade intervention specialist, said students are excited to learn because the program is “kid- friendly and designed specifically for them.”
The computer-based coursework involves an initial test to assess the student’s academic abilities. A lesson plan is then developed by i-Ready to accommodate students through interactive problems, games and more to better their skills.
“It’s really just fun and educational,” said Brea’on Slocum, a Taft fifth-grader.
Holly Fulvi, Youngstown State University junior student and Taft after-school volunteer, said she enjoys seeing students get the hang of a difficult task and get focused on school.
“They’re getting more experience with work they have in school, and it’s a little more one-on-one, to see and help them progress,” she said.
Arlayza Collier, also a Taft fifth-grade student, said despite some prior difficulty with fractions, i-Ready not only taught her to add and subtract them, but she now also can help others.
Taft kindergartner Tay’Von Weaver was able to get ahead of the game.
“I learned how to read more and more words,” he said.
In addition to learning, students receive a snack at 3:30 p.m., a warm meal for dinner at 5:30 p.m. and a bus ride home at 6 p.m.
Another opportunity after-school students working with i-Ready have at Taft is gaining experiences through Success After Six.
Tara Walker-Pollock, Taft’s Success After Six coordinator, said working with both sets of students enables her to provide several opportunities for them through field trips, activities and more.
“We want to provide enrichment opportunities to the students to expand their learning,” she said. “We do as much as possible when I’m able to provide opportunities” to the after-school students.
An opportunity that the after-school students had to join Success After Six students was a Tuesday afternoon Thanksgiving dinner.
Taft Elementary is just one of all Youngstown elementary and middle schools offering these enrichment opportunities.
CEO Krish Mohip said this program is helping students do better, improving the schools as a whole.
“It’s just an extra opportunity for the kids,” he said.
Mohip said the after-school program has a waiting list of more than 350 students because there aren’t enough volunteers for a successful teacher-student ratio.