Holyoke students work to ACE their studies

    It’s hard to imagine a high school community service project meeting a need as thoroughly as the After Class Excellence program does. Even the three students responsible for organizing it have been shocked by the response.
    Regan Van Overbeke, Anna Jelden and Haley Van Overbeke started the ACE program as a community service project for FBLA. They’d envisioned maybe 10-20 elementary students taking advantage of the program, but when it started at the beginning of the month, 76 turned in permission slips.
    ACE is an after-school program for Holyoke students in kindergarten through fourth grade. On Mondays through Thursdays up until the school’s spring break, students can go to ACE from the end of school until 5 p.m. It’s a safe place and a constructive use of time that bridges the gap between the end of the school day and the end of many parents’ work day, organizers explained.
    In addition to the three organizers, a number of volunteers within the school and community help to make ACE possible. An average of 35 elementary students attend each day, and they’re escorted by high school volunteers for the walk from the elementary school to HHS.
    Once there, they check in and are divided into two groups based on whether they have homework on that particular day. Those with homework are taken to a classroom, where more volunteers are on hand to supervise and help when needed.
    One thing organizers are learning is how to encourage the younger students and ask questions to guide them when they’re stuck on an assignment. That way, volunteers are adding to the learning experience, rather than doing the work for the elementary kids.
    Completing homework first thing at ACE not only makes things easier on families afterward but also sets up good study habits for the future.
    Students without homework are taken to the gym to walk or run on the indoor track. Again, they have a safe, supervised place to spend their time, and ACE volunteers have an opportunity to reiterate the importance of physical activity, as well as academics.
    When homework time is finished, everyone has a snack, which has been donated by someone in the community. From 4:30-5 p.m., there’s an activity of the day. Each week, a volunteer from the community is responsible for planning the activities. Topics include such things as leadership, integrity and healthy lifestyles. Future activities are expected to cover art, sign language and making their own snack, if they can get the necessary resources.
    Every aspect of the program relies on donations of materials and time, Anna, Regan and Haley explained. They all agreed that they’re lucky to have such an involved community. Other members of their FBLA chapter have also stepped up, they explained, and volunteered for various duties.
    In addition to the immediate benefits of helping with homework and giving students a place to go after school, ACE organizers have some long-term goals for the program as well. In Holyoke schools, the Academic Opportunity Center is available for students starting in fifth grade. For some, AOC is a requirement if certain grades aren’t high enough. Among students, that can give AOC a negative connotation, Haley explained.
    It’s unfortunate, she added, that some students view AOC as a punishment, because it’s a resource for any student that needs extra help with their studies. They hope that the K-4 experience with ACE will demonstrate that such after-school programs can be a positive experience and encourage students to take advantage of AOC if they need it in the future.
    ACE organizers have enjoyed getting to know the students who participate, but they’ve also learned some valuable lessons about running the program. Experienced adults have guided them in making necessary plans for everything from food allergies to permission slips to supervision to signing in and out.
    They’re also learning much about being positive role models to the younger students, who are “always watching.” Elementary kids might see them in sports, in other extracurriculars or around the community, they explained, and they look up to the older students. Bringing them into HHS for the after-school program is a chance to build relationships and show the kids that the high school isn’t a place that should intimidate them.  
    Though ACE is only scheduled to continue through March 8, the FBLA members see the service as an obvious need in the community. If another member or organization were interested in picking it up, they added, they would be happy to pass their program on and see it continue in the future.