Children’s Programs
The Center works with children ages 5 to 18 to help them enter and succeed in school, develop a love of reading and learning, discover their creativity and build skills critical for thriving in a quickly modernizing economy.
To help the most disadvantaged students access education the Center provides scholarships that cover basic school cost. Scholarship students must maintain a grade average of 80% or higher and participate in weekly tutoring sessions. Older students complete social services projects that benefit the community.
The Center’s 5000-volume library provides children and young people access to textbooks, reference works and literature in a quiet, study-oriented environment. A team of 25 older students staffs the library, helping younger kids with homework, research and other library services. These students provide positive role models for their younger peers.
In addition, the library volunteers run reading enrichment projects to supplement the quality of education. Weekly Story Time sessions are held in coordination with the local grade school to help 400 students develop a love of reading and learning through games, arts and crafts, story creation and reading aloud.
Finally, the Center offers painting, drama, music and folkloric dance classes to help 100 children build confidence and discover new talents, while giving them a safe harbor from the poverty of their environment. Students can go on to participate in the Center’s performing arts groups to share their talents with the wider community.
Rudzmara Ferguson began taking theatre classes at the Cultural Center in 1998, when she was 11 years old. She was a very shy girl, who was afraid to speak up or call attention to her in any way. Rudzamara joined the theatre class with dreams of starring in plays; she quickly learned that theatre is about much more than acting. She has learned how to handle pressure and responsibility, how to be sincere, and how to work together with a team to achieve common goals. Rudzamara reports that her 7 years in theatre class have helped her become a better person, with more social skills, the poise to present herself before an audience, and the confidence to freely to speak her mind.
