NORTHAMPTON — The good thing about after-school courses, say organizers of a new program at Bridge Street school, is there are no rules.
Whether students feel inspired to explore their inner ninja, origami or the culinary arts, after-school environments are free of standardized testing and institutional benchmarks.
“It helps them think about learning in a more creative way,” said Jen Dieringer, a parent who spearheaded the new after-school programming that’s set to begin at Bridge Street when school picks up again in January after winter break.
Dieringer was the lead grant writer in $10,000 endowment funds recently awarded by the Northampton Education Foundation. The grant allowed the school to hire a coordinator to launch the program, as well as to seek additional funding for after-school transportation. There is currently no after-school busing in Northampton, which is something the new coordinator, Liam Hurley, is charged with addressing systemwide.
Dieringer says the program is a huge support for working families, who need help while they’re working.
“The two top barriers to participation for low-income families in after-school programs is cost and transportation,” she said. “This was a huge concern to us as we were writing this because Bridge Street has a really diverse population.”
Hurley said the cost for a standard eight-week program is $85, but families in the reduced lunch program can apply at a sliding scale. Enrollment is open and courses begin Jan. 3.
Since hopping on board last month, Hurley said he’s busily recruited teachers and parents with talents to share. As a result, the school will offer after-school enrichment programs on an array of topics — podcasting, improvisation for beginners, cooking, 3D printing and obstacle course navigation among them.
“There’s a huge gap in what the schools offer curriculum-wise and what kids are really interested in,” he said, adding the courses empower children to take charge of their own education.
Plus, he said, it provides an opportunity for parents and teachers with skills they’re eager to share.
“Everyone knows an excited teacher makes an excited student,” Hurley said, adding the teachers are compensated for their time through student fees.
The most popular of the courses to-date, Hurley said, is one focused on animation.
Peter Mack, parent to a Bridge Street second-grader, said as a last-year grad student at UMass he’s used to teaching college students drawing and animation. Showing youngsters the same skills, he said, will be a new challenge he’s excited to take on.
He said he’ll show students how to string drawings and photographs together to simulate motion, like a flip book.
“We slowly build up a series of drawings and now we have someone who’s walking, or a ball bouncing,” he said.
He said he’ll also show students to build animation with models and figures. Then, he said, he’ll compile the student works using his professional-grade animation software. Ideally, he said, he’ll publish finished products on Youtube.
“I’m looking forward to doing it,” he said. “It’ll be fun.”
Amanda Drane can be contacted at adrane@gazettenet.com.