More than 300 local students in kindergarten through eighth grade gathered at Dunne Park on Thursday to celebrate in the National Lights On After School event.
The Youth Alliance organized the outdoor rally for students of its Collaborative After School Academy, which has programs at R.O. Hardin, Calaveras School, Marguerite Maze Middle School and the Rancho Park Apartments.
“The reason we wanted to take a little break today is – it is a really important day for after-school programs,” said Victoria Valadez, the director of the after school programs. “There once was an idea that after-school programs might be important because from 3 to 7 p.m., lots of trouble was happening that affected our kids.”
The students arrived with yellow balloons, some decorated with drawings, and posters exclaiming the reasons they like after-school programs.
Valadez said the idea grew from 10 schools in the United States to 10,000 schools. The Youth Alliance programs are funded in part with money from the After School Education and Safety Act of 2002, which started earmarking general fund money for after-school programs.
“This is about you being safe and you having fun and learning,” Valadez said, during the rally.
A few officials talked about why they think after-school programs are important, including San Benito County Supervisor Margie Barrios and Superintendent of Schools Mike Sanchez.
“After-school programs keep us learning,” Sanchez said.
The part of the event that was most telling about the impact of the programs was when students from each of the four locations got up to talk about their experiences.
Victor Gallo, a seventh-grade student at Marguerite Maze Middle School, said his favorite part of the after-school program is making new friends in the clubs.
“I like the events,” Gallo said. “I like the holidays because we can celebrate.”
He said he has been in the CASA program for six years and he would be interested in being one of the after-school coordinators in the future.
Diane Ortiz, the executive director of the Youth Alliance, said the families of students enrolled in the CASA after-school program do not have to pay for the services. The Youth Alliance expanded last year into Gilroy, with programs at Glen View, Rod Kelley and Eliot Elementary schools, and South Valley Middle Schools. Dubbed the Power School program, it is a partnership between the Youth Alliance, Gilroy Unified School District, YMCA and CalSOAP. The Gilroy schools gathered at El Roble Park for their rally at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
At the Hollister rally, other students stood up in front of the crowd and talked about what they like about the CASA program. The program includes homework help and enrichment. One girl said her favorite part was the ice cream club when her center learned to make homemade ice cream. Others cited the Day of the Dead celebration as their favorite activity.
“One thing we do is help keep technology and art – those things that are getting cut at schools,” Ortiz said. “We work with the school sites to keep (the students) on track.”
