The Young Men's Christian Association, YMCA, has been having summer programs for over 5 years, and this year was no different. They had classes for math, reading, character building, basketball, and also story writing. Today was their last day, and to celebrate they showed off their new talents. 7 news was there.
Dr. Clara Cuellar, Camp Organiser
"Given any of the school that these children are coming from, if you went to their schools they wouldn't have been the ones selected to read today and yet you come here and I know it might not seems that oh our child can explain a book because that's what they should be able to do. But what we are doing here at the YMCA is taking children who are not selected to do it because we couldn't do it then we are assisting in making sure that they can do it. And we work very closely with the schools in the area, the Ministry of Education, we have trained teachers, that's what makes this program a huge success and the trained teachers are paid through the ministry because as a non-profit organization we cannot afford that. But that allows us to have individual attentions; small groups. I always the teachers bring two important assets; the genuine love for children, which is very important. When a child has that caring, a thrust is develop, once that trust is develop then the child will work. The child believes in themselves because the adult first believe in the child."
Emaun Hyde
"You are spearheading a project that you said yourself is making a positive difference. How does feel being a part of it?"
Dr. Clara Cuellar
"Nothing but good. One of the wonderful gifts anybody has that deals with children and youth development is the joy of watching young people grow up and smile when they don't even know you are watching them because they feel good about what they are doing."
Liston Williams, Participant
"I am coming to this summer camp for 6 years now and I like it because it teaches you to do a lot of fun things. It help me to improve in my classes in math, reading, help with homework, if you have a research you can go on the internet and they teach you about computers, that's why I like to come to YMCA."
Emaun Hyde
"What fun stuff have you been doing so far over the past month?"
Liston Williams
"I've been making posters, doing drawing, make up characters and writing stories."
Emaun Hyde
"Do you think you are better at reading and writing now that you've been to the summer camp again?"
Liston Williams
"Yes ma'am."
Emaun Hyde
"You haven't been volunteering and helping teaching, but what have you been doing over the past month?"
Sergio Cuellar, Volunteer
"Well over the past month I've been in the office working meaning the IT department, working on computers, getting to everything about the computer system. Also I have been tutoring some students in their reading; I have learn new ways how to bring across the students in reading and making syllables of new words."
Emaun Hyde
"Overall it was a really good experience for you?"
Stefan Zuniga, Volunteer
"It was a really good experience because the students thank me for what they have learned in basketball, also in math and reading and it help them to show their talent in the world and to go abroad and use their talent to positive things."
Today made one month since the summer program began.
