Educational Leadership

students’ lives. The teacher models the new skills and coaches the students to apply them.

Unlike in school, in after-school programs, skilled performance matters most—not standardized test scores. Whether the child is engaged in sports, creative arts, or some urban ecology project, programs focus on mastering knowledge and skills to accomplish specific tasks. Purposeful-ness as well as high demands on performance make this type of learning well suited to children who have, in other circumstances, felt defeated, marginal-ized, and often invisible in schools.

Taking the Right Steps

For Lilliona, the high demands involve keeping up with her teacher, Lincoln Chavez, a local musician and director of the program. In his late 20s, exuding cool with his long dreadlocks and black sunglasses, Lincoln cuts quite a figure as an after-school leader. After graduating from college, he turned to after-school programs. “I wanted to be a role model for kids— black, white, Hispanic, whatever—to show how important education is,” he said. “I see too many kids who think they can become sports stars or music stars without getting an education. I think that education is the key to opening doors—and that doors will open for them if they have the qualifications.”

Lincoln is a tough and demanding
taskmaster. Getting ready for the dance
performance, students practice their
moves. “OK, Santiago,” Lincoln says,
“let your hand go in a motion that looks
like you’re hugging yourself. Let’s take it
from the top!”
The dance moves are complicated, yet
none of the children give up, even after
the 10th go-round. Like an effective
community performance.
Lincoln is clearly a role model.
Call him camp counselor, big
brother, or coach, he is both
leader and collaborator in
helping students learn.

Basic Building Blocks

The evidence suggests that good after-school programs have some essential characteristics (Neuman, 2009):

; They give children opportunities to solve problems and use their reasoning skills to full capacity. For example, students might adapt recipes to create nutritious meals and publish their own cookbook at the end of the year.

; They focus on teamwork. Projects encourage children to begin to think of “we” instead of just “me.” For example, a recent performing arts program involved students in script reading, dance, costume design, and drama. The children produced and presented a wonderful performance for family, friends, and the community. Such teamwork provides the discipline and role models that children desperately need—especially those children who have been isolated from beneficial socializing influences.