For the Prospect Lions, every afternoon boasts the perfect blend of consistency and novelty. Weekly afterschool classes in dance, nutrition, and yoga help build off of prior lessons and form a sense of stability for students. Monthly or bi-monthly lessons in topics like health, financial literacy, and college preparation likewise form a key part of the after-school curriculum. Meanwhile, special events and activities complement ongoing lessons and offer students unique learning opportunities.
Every day at afterschool is built around the same schedule. Afterschool begins with snack time followed by homework help with Prospect staff. After homework help, staff keep students of all ages engaged with daily activities until dinnertime and dismissal. In late November, we chronicled a week in the life with the Prospect Lions:
A Week in the Life with the Prospect Lions
On Monday, students celebrated Native American Heritage Month. Staff at Prospect taught children about different Native American tribes, including their name origins and history. They also completed an arts & crafts project intended to reinforce the lesson.
On Tuesday, students learned about consent and personal space during a bi-monthly Healthy Chats lesson. Healthy Chats provides a safe and welcoming space for children to talk about important topics like hygiene, bullying, an respect. During their lesson, students watched a video about the importance personal space and the phrase No means no. They also practiced recognizing one another’s personal space and exercising consent. Afterwards, they created boards illustrating what personal space, consent, and social etiquette means to them.
On Wednesday, the Prospect Lions took a field trip to the Graduate Business School of Columbia University for the school’s annual Holiday Party. Volunteers from Columbia spent time helping the Afterschool students decorate cookies and play games like corn hole and pin-the-nose-on-the-snowman. The students also created their own holiday cards during an arts & crafts project.
On Thursday, volunteers from Healthify visited Prospect Afterschool for a Turkey Arts & Crafts project and a special dinner.
On Friday, staff invited parents at Prospect for a Thankful Dinner for residents only. Parents and children alike enjoyed painting fall-themed scenes on canvases, inspired by the same rendition of two falling leaves. The families also sipped apple cider and ate fresh pastries while they painted.
On Saturday, students had the chance to further flex their painting skills with a field trip to Paint with a Twist. The students listened carefully to an instructor who guided them in painting their own turkeys.
