After School Memories and Adding Fun to Learning

McKamey and Restler, Youth Policy Op Ed

When I first started at Roger Williams Middle School, I was still learning English, and it was very difficult for me to communicate with others and make friends. That began to change when I discovered the after school programs run by AfterZone. Through these programs, I was able to meet other English-learning students and practice the language outside of the classroom. This helped me understand not only how certain words were used in different contexts but also which words carried just one specific meaning.

Being part of AfterZone gave me more than language practice, it gave me new friends and opportunities to explore different interests beyond schoolwork. I still remember joining an art program where we learned different drawing techniques. That experience sparked my passion for drawing and I filled sketchbooks with drawings all the way through high school. I also took part in a career program where guest speakers came to talk about their professions. One day a police officer visited, and another a veterinary technician brought in a dog for us to meet. Experiences like these were both fun and inspiring, and I often look back and feel grateful that I was a part of them.

The programs also supported my family. By staying after school, I gave my mother more time to work or focus on caring for my much younger sister. On top of that AfterZone funded exciting field trips, like visiting Roger Williams Zoo, where I got to see and even pet animals I had never encountered before.

Looking back, joining AfterZone was one of the best things that could have happened to me. It helped me grow academically, socially, and personally in ways I’ll never forget.

Thats why this article resonated with me, because I think it is imperative that we enrich the educational lives of younger students so that they realize learning can be fun as well as helping them find their way into what interests them and future pathways they could pursue depending on those interests.

For my connection I'd like to link a recent announcement made by the Providence After School Alliance (PASA), the organization that created AfterZone, where they share their concerns over the cut of education funds amidst the Presidency of Trump. It puts not just regular schooling in jeopardy but also these after school programs that are cherished by those like me who had the opportunity to take advantage of them.