Program Stresses Personal Growth
By Lindsay Minnema
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 16, 2007
"How do you develop good character?" teacher Michael Hude asked, scanning the eagerly raised hands in his classroom of the Tenley Achievement Program in Northwest Washington.
It was a profound question for the middle school boys to think over, but John Smith, 13, was willing to take a shot: "We develop our character from what we do," he said.
For the 280 students attending summer classes at the Youth Leadership Foundation -- of which the Tenley Achievement Program (TAP) is a part -- talking about responsibility, and learning how to make sound decisions is a central part of their education.
In a class about character, the discussion revolved around morality. Outside the classroom, students work with mentors who help them set personal goals. They earn "Character Counts" points redeemable for rewards such as tickets to sporting events or concerts.
The Youth Leadership Foundation, which was started in 1997, helps struggling students improve their grades and their lives by taking responsibility for their futures.
"We want to get them inspired and motivated to succeed, even in day-to-day stuff," said David Cook, director of the Tenley Achievement Program. "We have speakers who come tell them, 'I made it through hard work and perseverance. There is no way you can't do it.' They show the kids it is possible."
In a separate classroom, three miles southeast of where TAP is located in Tenleytown, Maria Pluta sat in a circle with students in a character class. All the students were girls and were part of the Program for Academic and Leadership Skills, the all-girl division of the Youth Leadership Foundation.
"Your conscience is the road map to your morality," Pluta said.
Boys and girls have been separated at the foundation since it was established, said Michael Barvick, Youth Leadership Foundation executive director.
This summer, TAP enrolled about 160 boys in grades 4 through 9. The Program for Academic and Leadership Skills was attended by about 120 girls in grades 4 through 10. The separation fosters better focus, Barvick said.
"We have these kids for a limited time," he said. "With the sexes separate, we don't have to deal with showing off, especially on the part of the boys. And for the girls, it helps to build their self-esteem and confidence."
Both programs are designed to reach out to average or just-below-average students who typically score grades between a high D and a low B. Roughly 95 percent of the students are black and 5 percent are Hispanic, Barvick said. The foundation operates year-round. During the school year, it offers after-school and weekend tutors. Summer classes are held five days a week.
Students attend daily classes in math, English and science. But it's the character classes that make the Youth Leadership Foundation unique and take the curriculum a step further, teaching students about sound decision-making.
"Most of these kids come from failing schools or chaotic personal backgrounds," Barvick said. "They are either not challenged in school because the schools themselves are in disarray or because they are not being pushed by someone."
Outside the classroom, the foundation's character-building strategy involves a team of mentors who meet with each student for 15 minutes twice weekly. The mentors reinforce the lessons being taught in character class.
Mentors help students set goals. It could be a goal as simple as making their beds every morning, an exercise that is intended to teach responsibility.
Students also go on weekly excursions -- to a museum or swimming pool, for example. This year, the girls chorus toured a radio station and recorded a CD. The boys played the final game of their basketball tournament at the Comcast Center.
For Tyra Williams and Rohainee Jacinto, both 12, the field trips are their favorite part of the program. But they also appreciate the character-building courses.
"It helps us with self-esteem and teaches us how to be young leaders," Williams said.
Barvick said most of the students who attend the foundation's summer programs improve by an average of one letter grade when they return to school. About 97 percent of students graduate from high school and attend college, he said.
"I needed a lot of help in school because I was almost failing," said Katherine Hall, 13. "When you learn stuff during the summer, you get ahead."
Barvick said the goal of the foundation is to help students succeed academically and personally.
"We hope to not only catch them up in school," he said, "but to push them even further."
View all comments that have been posted about this article.