Centro Latino offers serveral free programs: After School Program | Teen Tutoring Program | English Classes
 

After School Program

Caroline Sweet with Elgar...

Centro Latino's After School Program currently serves over 40 students attending Columbia public elementary and middle schools. The program was established in September 2002 under the initiative of two University of Missouri-Columbia students: Steffanie Sing, Office of Service Learning and Linda Manning. Linda developed the After School Program to provide bilingual tutoring and place emphasis on improving literacy levels.

Centro Latino's After School Program is a homework assistance program for Latino children between Kindergarten and fifth grade. The program is held Monday through Thursday from 3:00-5:00 p.m. during the school calendar year at La Escuela Latina, Centro Latino's satellite office. Several times a month, the children participate in field trips to the Daniel Boone Regional Library, the Activites and Recreation Center, and local parks. The target population is all Latino children enrolled in Columbia Public Schools.

Children attending the After School Program come to Centro Latino twice each week. They are picked up at their schools by the Centro Latino van or a Centro Latino volunteer. Once at Centro Latino the children and volunteers are given snacks and allowed to relax and socialize. Each child has a personal volunteer who devotes their full attention to the child the duration of the time at Centro Latino. The volunteers help the children with homework from 3:45-4:45. If there is no homework, volunteers and children practice reading and writing. At 4:45 the children are allowed free time in which they can use the computers to play educational games or do arts and crafts.

The primary goals of the After School Program are to assist children in homework completion, aid reading and math skills, and help children improve their overall grade card scores. The After School Program is accomplishing this goal. The long-term goal of the program is to instill in these children the love of learning, a work ethic for homework completion, and confidence and faith in their own academic abilities. Through this service, Centro Latino hopes to change the odds for Latino children, and change the face of their future. Centro Latino hopes that the outcome of this service will be an increase in retention rates for high school students, an increase in the percentage of Latinos who continue to higher education, and an increase in the standard of living for Latinos in mid-Missouri.

The program provides transportation, daily snacks, and tutoring in reading, writing, and mathematics. The After School Program also facilitates events such as LPAT (Latino Parent and Teachers conference) thus fostering academic excellence by strengthening communication between educational institutions and the Latino families they serve.

Teen Tutoring Program

Centro Latino's Teen Tutoring Program is an extension of the After School Program. Due to overcrowding it became necessary for the Teen Tutoring Program to become distinct from the After School Program in August 2003. The program provides free tutoring to Latino students in and between grades 6 and 12. Tutoring is offered Monday through Thursday, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. each week of the school calendar year. Students who come to the program get personal attention from a tutor who helps the student complete homework. It is an elective program; students may come if they choose, but are not required to attend. Transportation is not provided due to the van's concurrent use with the After School Program. The target population for this program is all Latino middle, junior and senior high school students in Columbia.

Centro Latino's Teen Tutoring Program partners with the Columbia Public Schools, McDonalds™, and the University of Missouri. In November, 2003, McDonalds™ provided coupons to the program which were given as rewards for goods behavior and accomplishments in school. The University of Missouri donated tickets to football games in fall 2003 which were given as rewards.

The Education Director at Centro Latino supervises the Teen Tutoring Program. Centro Latino's Volunteer Coordinator plays an important role in gathering and organizing volunteers from the community. The majority of the work, however, falls in the hands of the community volunteers. Four such volunteers are present each night to serve as tutors. From August 2003 to December 2003 Teen Tutoring Program volunteers donated a documented 223 hours of time, an in-kind donation equal to $3,345.00.

Student attendance at the Teen Tutoring Program varies from day to day depending largely on the amount and difficulty of the students' homework. From October to Decenber the program helped 13 students. These students recieved over 90 hours of academic attention at Centro Latino'

The Teen Tutoring Program has no source of funding. The Students often use the computers for writing assignments or web-based research; the program is thus indebted to the University of Missouri Tech 4-U fund which donated six computers to Cento Latino. The Community Partnership donated eight computers to La Escuela Latina, however, the program has more needs to be met. Basic school supplies are needed in the event in which a student does not have or cannot afford appropriate school supplies. The After School Program Budget, which encompasses the costs of the After School Program and Teen Tutoring Program, shows a detailed lists of the costs of such supplies.

The need for Centro Latino's Teen Tutoring Program is clear. According to the Nation Center for Education Statistics, Hispanic students have a status dropout rate of 27.8%, compared with Whites at 6.9%, Blacks at 13.1%, and Asians/Pacific Islanders at 3.8%. (www.nces.ed.gov)The children that come to Centro Latino struggle against these odds, and the prejudices they induce, everyday. Most of these students come from homes in which Spanish is the first language. In such a home, parents find it frustrating and difficult to help their child finish his or her homework when it is written in a foreign language. At Centro Latino, teens find knowledgeable volunteers who can help the students complete homework while encouraging academic growth. Centro Latino also provides a safe place for the teens, keeping them out of the reach of drugs, alcohol, and violence. At Centro Latino they are ensured positive role models, a clean and warm environment, and an understanding of their cultural heritage.

English as a Second Language Classes

First ESL Class April 2000

Centro Latino offers English as a Second Language classes to Spanish speaking clients. The classes are offered free of charge twice a week. Mondays from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 6:00-8:00 p.m. The classes are held year round with breaks for holidays. The classes are designed to help beginning students gain a basic understanding of the English language and become comfortable with it. The target population is working class, Spanish speaking Latinos living in mid-Missouri. Centro Latino is able to attract many students from this population due to its constant contact with the Latino population in Columbia. Centro Latino has offered English classes since its inception in April 2000.

Centro Latino partners with Frederick Douglas School for Adult Education. In October 2001 the two recieved the AL Civics grant, enabling the establishment of an ESL certified teacher, a supervisor, and basic school supplies for the program. Through the grant, beginning English classes are offered at Centro Latino twice a week. Intermediate and advanced English classes are offered at Frederick Douglas School. Centro Latino urges students to continue their education at the Frederick Douglas school after satisfactory completion of classes at Centro Latino. The AL Civics Grant is the only current funding for the program.

Learning English is vital to the empowerment and advancement of Latinos living in mid-Missouri. Without a basic understanding of English, Latinos find it difficult to do everything from applying for jobs to shopping for groceries. The short-term goal of Centro Latino's ESL program is to help Latinos do these tasks with ease by learning to communicate in English. ESL classes at Centro Latino strive to attain part of our mission by providing guidance in navigating the health, education, and cultural resources in mid-Missouri. Field trips to the library, the grocery store, and local events help Centro Latino's ESL students become familiar and comfortable in and with the community. The long-term goal of Centro Latino's ESL classes is to enable the ESL students to become more competent, confident, and self-sufficient members of the community. The community benefits from Centro Latino's service in the formation of such civic members. Increased communication and understanding lead to a more unified community aimed toward common goals.

English class field trip...