Holyoke after-school program helps kids achieve in and outside school.
By BECCA DELEPORTE
Holyoke High
It is not uncommon for someone to ask me where I work, and I reply with, “I work for the STEP Program, out of Holyoke Community College. It’s an after-school program that serves middle school students in Holyoke.”
Often times, people just say, “Oh, awesome,” and continue on with the conversation.
Sometimes the discussion drones on about how I tutor them in whatever they need help with at the time of program.
The truth is, it is hard to describe what I do for the program — tutors are “jacks of all trades.”
After working with the Skills, Training and Enrichment Program for two years, I’ve come to realize that it is important for the public to know just what we do, and how, more often than not, we succeed in making a difference in the lives of our students.
The program is a non-profit after school program which targets Holyoke middle school students who are in need of academic assistance or would be the first generation in their family to attend college.
The program motivates students to succeed in middle, high school and in college.
Each program group meets twice a week after school and during the summer holds a three-week long program at Holyoke Community College.
The summer program features classes taught by the tutors in classrooms at the college and a few field trips as well.
The tutors are the gears of this big machine; we make the program run the way it needs to.
Through working for this program I have learned that diversity is what makes large groups so great, because all of the students learn different things from each other, and the tutors also learn with the students.
These learning experiences allow for personal relationships to be established between students and tutors.
At rope courses, the students and tutors level with one another about their fears, and students often encourage tutors, like me, to conquer their personal fears.
Our staff makes it a point to establish and develop such relationships.
The program brings students on several incredible field trips throughout the school year and over the summer.
These field trips include the Boston Museum of Science, Morse Hill Outdoor Education Center in Shutesbury, InterSkate 91, several area colleges, and the biggest trip of the year — the trip to YMCA Camp Hi-Rock in Mount Washington, for the weekend at the end of the school year.
Without the program, most of our students would never be given the opportunity to go on such trips, and face such fears as heights, staying overnight, and even things as trivial as learning how to roller skate.
All of this brings the group together, into what many call the “STEP family.”
It is a miraculous thing in today’s world to find a job where one experiences great personal pleasure and growth and still gets paid.
I have experienced much personal growth over the past two years, and I owe much of that growth to the program.
The program is a non profit program which has struggled for 17 years as such.
During this difficult economic climate, the staff can only hope that the program receives the funding it needs, so that other students and tutors can have the same opportunities.
The program has inspired me to change my career path from entering the medical field, to continuing with working for a program like ours.
STEP has inspired me to continue helping students in my community for years to come.
For more information about the program, visit www.step-program.com or contact Melany Mendoza at (413) 552-2471.