Cook’s After School
April 2011 – It is a Thursday afternoon in April and the students at Cook’s After School are eager to enter the Community Room. Why? Olin Science Club is coming! Every other Thursday, Engineering Discovery, a student run organization at Olin College that focuses on fostering passion and excitement for engineering and science in primary school students, comes to Cook’s After School program to provide open-ended, hands-on team projects to help students discover the value and joy of technical problem-solving.
Cook’s After School (CAS) opened its doors in September 2010 after Penny Kirk, Director of Resident Services at the Needham Housing Authority (NHA), received a Small Grant from the NEF in the Spring 2010 cycle. Ms. Kirk’s application presented a complete plan, which included a mission, a new program format, and collaborating neighborhood resources, to revamp the existing loosely structured afterschool program. Most days are structured with snack time, homework, and activities. Thursdays include special rotating activities that include African drumming, music lessons, and Science Club. Homework time involves tutors from Babson College, Olin College, Needham High and local residents. Homework support is a critical component of the program’s mission: to raise the academic performance level of the students in the NHA neighborhood by providing a structured and supportive learning environment. By increasing their academic achievement and self-esteem, Ms. Kirk sees CAS serving as a stepping stone, preparing these elementary and middle school students for the Steps to Success program at the high school.
The CAS program has had tremendous success in only eight short months. Participation started with only nine students and has grown to 22 children. Director Annette Somers provides guidance and leadership and develops activities from cooking to the arts. Students have begun to self-direct themselves into the homework routine and it is showing in their classroom work. CAS now has three children on the honor roll for the first time in their lives and their parents are thrilled.
The program’s size, growth and success require a great deal of financial support. Ms. Kirk has received additional funding from Danvers Bank, Needham Bank, Middlesex Bank, Muzi Ford, and the NHA, to help sustain the program. A program the children love.
“My favorite thing at CAS is cooking. And I like to paint. They help me with my homework.”
“I just started. Everyone tells me it is fun and I’m missing out, and they’re right!”
“I like cooking and playing. We do homework too, and now school is easier.”
“We do all kinds of stuff. CAS helps me get good grades. It's making homework easier – I don’t worry about it as much.”
On this particular Thursday, Science Club, led by Olin students Brendan Quinlivan ’14 and Becca Schutzengel ’13, teach another lesson on energy. After reviewing “potential” energy and “kinetic” energy, the students learn about green energy by building waterwheels. The children build their own three paddle waterwheel from paper cups and watch what happens. Then they modify their designs to include more paddles and observe the changes. There’s a lot of splashing and a lot of laughing and squealing, “It goes faster!” as their waterwheels spin round and round!