Second of three parts
Re “A New Way for (Hungry) Students to Spend the Summer”
[img]1940|right|||no_popup[/img]The School District’s inaugural Free Summer Lunch program that starts a week from this morning at 11:30 at La Ballona Elementary for students 18-and-under, is about feeding minds as much as bodies, says Supt. Dave LaRose.
Not only has the first-year superintendent rocketed into Culver City with a lifetime supply of fresh new energy strapped to his back, but a wide and deep satchel of imaginative ideas that are clicking as he closes out his 11th month of residency and resonancy.
The learning component of the daily 90-minute agenda “comes from being active with others, with being connected, being engaged, continuing to read, to have physical activities,” the Super says.
There won’t be any Standing Around time for the hungry/thirsty participants. The first hour is for nourishment, and the 30 minutes from 12:30 to 1 will be reserved for physical exercises.
[img]1456|right|Mr. LaRose||no_popup[/img]“We are trying to fill in the other kinds of gaps that potentially have occurred during the summer,” Mr. LaRose said.
“Summer food programs are offered everywhere by lots of school districts, whether it is from a state grant, a federal grant or reimbursement programs.
“In my prior district (in Washington state), we offered the summer lunch program at three school sites. What we learned was that the kids didn’t like summer school – that didn’t take a rocket scientist – we had very, very high numbers for our summer lunch program.
“So we decided to expand our summer lunch program (which accounts for the 30 minutes of cerebral and physical challenges).
“The best part of the lunch program is we are going to expand that opportunity to make sure that everyday, children have access to books, they have access to games, they have access to arts and crafts activities, that they have the opportunity to have some kind of physical activity,” Mr. LaRose said.
What is his strategy?
You can’t run such an ambitious project with staff.
And here is the creative, volunteer-driven engine that, Mr. LaRose believes, is destined to make the maiden voyage successful.
“We do that through our partnerships,” he says. “We have had a few Whole Child, Whole Community meetings where we send our invitations and net out wide for anybody who has an agency, an organization, a resource, a service or just a heart to serve kids and families, and bring that diverse group together around that common interest.
“Our groups have included everything from medical providers, mental health services, arts and crafts organizations, dance groups, Meals on Wheels, the Fire Dept., elected officials, Police Dept., and agencies that are dedicated to serve.”
Can’t you feel the electronic energy buzzing, crisscrossing the community?
(To be continued)
