Homework programme improves life assignment for inner-city youth

Coordinating Volunteer Huntley Anderson (centre) providing guidance for students Shawny Barnes (left) and Judene Rowe (right) as part of the homework programme at the Women’s Resource Outreach Centre WROC on Beechwood Avenue in Kingston.

“I want to be a veterinarian,” Charlotte shares with a shy yet certain look on her small face. Deep-voiced Michael who loves Technical Drawing and Art wants to become an Architect or Music Producer while Judene is yet to choose between a career in the army or education. These bright youngsters are just some of the good-to-do students, ranging from age 7 to 18 years, who for the past 5 years or so meet four evenings each week to experience a different, positive, more productive side of life. Under the guidance of a few volunteers the youngsters willingly and happily gather to do homework, carry out research on the Internet, interact and learn social skills, courtesy of a homework programme established by the Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre WROC on Beechwood Avenue in Kingston.

Set up in September 2005, the homework programme was a direct response to the needs expressed by parents of students in the Lyndhurst Greenwich area who had just passed G-SAT and would be starting high school. “Parents indicated that they lived in tenement yards that were noisy and crowded; there was no quiet place for children to do homework.  Also, there was no one to assist them with their homework,” explains Executive Director at WROC Dorothy Whyte.

Charlotte Rowe getting supervision from volunteer Ms. Stewart as part of the homework programme at the Women’s Resource Outreach Centre WROC on Beechwood Avenue in Kingston.

The core goal of the programme is therefore to help students to complete assignments. “Math, English, Social Studies, History…all the different subject areas, we do all of them,” explains coordinating volunteer Huntley Anderson, a full-time teacher at St. George’s College who has been involved with the programme for the past 2 ½ years. The assistance programme is run from 3:30 to 4:30pm “but sometimes students want to stay until 5:30,” Anderson says. Some “16 students attend regularly but on any given day we have 10-12 students,” who are supervised by two volunteers. Students have access to computers, books, stationery and other resources to facilitate the completion of their school work.

The programme also provides targeted support to students sitting their CXC exams and completing SBAs this academic year. “In September we did an assessment for the persons that are doing CXC. We know that they are weak in Math and English so we want to focus on those two core subjects so that they can develop those skills until they have exams in June,” Anderson explains.

However apart from homework there is well-needed interaction among the youngsters. “You do find persons just want to come and talk and share,” informs the impassioned volunteer. Students are happy to meet and greet each evening, especially since most of them have been attending for several years. Indeed participating in the homework programme is not only an academic exercise but also the opportunity to be a part of very closely knitted group. Michael, Judene, Charlotte and their peers agree that they are basically “a family.” They also share that “Anderson make us feel comfortable and smart, always helping to build our confidence.”

Students Michael Harper (standing), Judene Rowe (right) and Coordinating Volunteer Huntley Anderson (centre) share a light moment with Michael’s cell phone while Shawny Barnes (left sitting) focuses on completing her work on the lap top at the Women’s Resource Outreach Centre WROC office on Beechwood Avenue in Kingston.

Of course this does not mean that students don’t “give trouble” and have personal issues to grapple with. When students need special attention, they are referred to WROC’s on staff counsellor who sometimes requests that parents come in with their child for a counselling session. Anderson explains that while it is generally difficult to get in contact with parents they do occasionally come in for the sessions. Parents from the community also tend to rely on the programme as a safe place to leave their kids when they are still at work.

Anderson, who is also studying, admits that going to WROC each evening after teaching a full day at George’s “can be tiring” but stresses that he is committed to the students. “When I finish in the evenings I might be drained but I know that there is some form of appreciation, even while they give trouble, just to see that the assignment is completed and they have a smile on their face you know that they have accomplished something for the evening, I feel good about that,” he shares with a smile. Continuing the dedicated volunteer says “I don’t like to break, not even a day I like to miss with them because I want to be around them.”

For her part, Executive Director of WROC Dorothy Whyte is pleased that the programme is making a difference in people’s lives. “It allows WROC to interact with students, to influence their behaviour, to assist them to improve their performance in school and achieve overall academic success.”  The ultimate result is that through this programme WROC is able to assist in improving literacy and numeracy among the residents of the Lyndhurst/Greenwich park community and other surrounding inner-city communities.

Certainly the homework programme is bringing hope to these youngsters and their families in the quest to complete and improve their life assignment.