Educationally Speaking : Investing in our students

Do you know where your teenager is after school? Since early October, the answer for many parents is now “yes” and it is said with a smile in their voice. This is said even knowing that their student is staying after school in school. What could motivate students to voluntarily attend school beyond the regular day? The answer for about 90 students is the ASSETS program.

What is ASSETS? It is the 21st Century High School After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSETS) Program. The purpose of the program is to provide after-school enrichment programs that partner schools and communities to provide academic support and safe, constructive alternatives for high school pupils in the hours after the regular school day. Ask students who are participating in ASSETS and they will tell you it is fun, it is more time with friends, it is an opportunity to complete homework and it is an opportunity to get help on schoolwork that may be difficult to understand.

ASSETS began as a one-hour after-school educational program which targeted English language learner students with only an educational component. Since its inception, it has expanded to include all students, to three hours per day/four days a week and to a program that includes homework assistance and enrichment elements including the arts, technology access, recreation and fitness. Opportunities to learn and play include such areas as jewelry making, drawing, photography, dance, yoga and board games. The ASSETS program is also making it possible for the library to be open for extended hours, four days per week from 5 to 6 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The ASSETS program is designed to serve approximately 130 students. This means there is still room for 40 more students. The program is also designed to serve and engage the community. This means that there are opportunities for parents and community members to share their time and talents. For information on student and adult opportunities to participate, please contact Adam Dawson, Fallbrook High School assistant principal, at (760) 723-6300, ext. 3112.

What is ASSETS? Yes, it is an after-school program, but it is more than that. It is an opportunity for our school community to invest in the lives of our students through safe, constructive alternatives.