Growing interactive after-school program at West, Heritage

LIMA – An after-school program at West Middle School gives students the opportunity to build hydraulic robots, decorate desserts and dye masks, as part of an initiative to combine traditional after-school tutoring with hands-on enrichment activities so students stay engaged.

The program began last fall with support from the Cleveland Open Doors Academy, which funds after-school programs that focus on socio-emotional learning and behaviors that influence academic achievement, such as mastery of self, confidence and perseverance.

Already 25 seventh and eighth graders from West Middle School are enrolled in the after-school program this fall, while a similar program is expected to launch soon at Heritage Elementary.

“It’s different from what they see in a regular classroom,” said TJ Winkler, principal of West Middle School. “Regular classroom material has always been the traditional ‘sit and get’ philosophy. … Learning must become fun, otherwise they will not be interested in what they are doing.

Each session includes a snack, tutoring and an enrichment activity, with transportation available for students whose parents cannot pick them up from school.

Students who struggle in traditional academic settings can benefit from the practical nature of the program, as Winkler said he has seen several students gain confidence in their skills after participating in the after-school program.

The program has also inspired schools in Lima to revamp their summer school program, which now takes the form of interactive summer camps.

“It made us take a step back and think about how we serve children as a school district,” said Jill Ackerman, superintendent of schools in Lima, who hosted House Speaker Bob Cupp (R -Lima) in West Friday for a roundtable discussion on the after-school program.

“They are here because they want to be here, not because we say you have to be here,” Ackerman said. “It engages them and keeps them away from the streets. “