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AMERICAN-STATESMAN (Austin, Texas) November 05 In Taylor, schoolchildren going beyond basics - After-school program includes 'fun stuff' with its learning help for kindergartners through eighth-graders. (Bob Banta)
Taylow: There's at least one good thing about rattlesnakes, and Troy Hogan, 6, can tell you what it is.
"They eat rats," he said.
While Troy and his classmates at Northside Elementary learn about reptiles, Seth Harvey, 14, and his friends at Taylor Middle School are readying miniature rockets that they hope will reach altitudes of 1,000 feet after blastoff.
"First we do our homework," Seth said. "Then we come here to learn fun stuff."
Both youngsters attend Duck University, a program for students from kindergarten through eighth grade that blends work in math, science and language arts with electives that range from rocket science to dancing and arts and crafts.
Duck University, named after the Taylor High School mascot, is supported by a $2.3 million 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant awarded to Taylor schools last year for a five-year period. The grant was among $19.6 million in federal 21st Century funds that were distributed to 132 scholastic programs.
Austin, Bastrop, Blanco and Round Rock schools also got similar grants. Priority was given to campuses where at least 40 percent of the students are considered economically disadvantaged.
Most of the grant pays hourly stipends to the 115 district teachers who work after school to tutor the children involved. The grant also pays an hourly wage to two dozen college-age workers who organize the students into various age groups, monitor their activities and help manage them during the after-school schedule.
The grant money also pays the salaries of Duck University Director Angela Allen, a secretary and a staff member who acts as a liaison between the university and parents.
Even though hip-hop dancing is part of her friends' day at Duck University, the program has a serious purpose, said Mariana Velazquez, 12.
"It helps me do my homework. It helps us pass the TAKS," Mariana said, referring to the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exam required of Texas public school students.
And, she said, "It keeps you from having to go to summer school."
Mondays through Thursdays, the hallways at Northside and Taylor Middle School come alive with kids bursting out of their reading and math classes to join groups engaged in theater arts, cooking and wildlife study.
Recently, Tim Cole of Austin Reptile Service exhibited a four-foot python and a black-and-yellow king snake for a group of elementary kids. Cole is among four to six private vendors who teach electives that include natural sciences, arts and karate at a fee that averages about $75 per hour under contracts issued each semester.
As the children watched a video of an owl feasting on a snake, Cole explained that "snakes are not always at the top of the food chain."
Brandon Foley, 8, said he was convinced that "sometimes snakes are good."
That's exactly what Cole wants to hear.
"When they grow older, hopefully, they will have a better understanding of the environment," Cole said. "They'll respect life around us."
Gender roles are also explored.
In Zena Franklin's theater group, kids act out portions of a book called "The Paper Bag Princess," a story in which a princess defeats a dragon to save a prince.
"It shows that the girl can save the boy," Franklin said.
Franklin, 22, a member of the Theatre Action Project of Austin, also hired by the district under the grant, said theater arts encourage leadership.
"Often kids get into trouble because they are actually leaders," she said. "They have lots of energy. By acting in front of their class, they can use this leadership energy in a good way. It's an empowering activity."
Empowerment doesn't end with the kids. The program also provides classes for parents in how to improve their English, keep their families healthy and earn the equivalent of a high school diploma, Allen said.
Taylor is in the second year of the five-year program. The annual grant is reduced by 20 percent during the last two years. Because the grant will end in three years, school officials will have to decide whether to keep the program going and how to pay for it. School districts typically approach individuals, businesses and foundations for funds, Allen said.
"The program is great because it gives kids a safe place to go after school. Usually they would just go home and watch TV, but this gives them experiences they normally wouldn't have," Allen said. "They go home with ideas to talk about."
After-school program includes 'fun stuff' with its learning
