After-school caring

Deirdre Newman

It’s a mild afternoon and a group of fifth-graders at Wilson

Elementary School are writing a play about Encyclopedia Brown solving the

case of the Bubble Gum Shootout.

“It’s my favorite chapter,” said Vanessa Venitez, 11.

The playwriting is part of the Project Success after-school program,

which focuses on literacy for the low-income students it serves.

Project Success is just one after-school success story under the

umbrella of Costa Mesa Cares, a collaboration between the city and the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District cemented last fall. There are seven

programs altogether, ranging from the Boys & Girls Club homework

assistance program to a new community outreach program with mentors from

UC Irvine.

The school district wanted to help students who needed an extra boost

of literacy but did not want to reinvent the wheel, said trustee David

Brooks, who was instrumental in crystallizing the collaboration.

“With some students, they live with three or four others in an

apartment where there’s nowhere to lie a flat book. They will just become

another statistic,” Brooks said.

Project Success operates at eight schools and provides 460 students

with basic reading skills, English-language development and homework

assistance. Teachers aides from the district provide the literacy

component while staff from the Costa Mesa Recreation Department provide

structured outdoor activities.

“We’re getting more bang for our buck since we’re serving the same

population,” said Cathi Pierson, interim principal at Harbor View

Elementary School.

After school, the students usually get some time to work on their

homework. Then they start working on various projects, such as writing

plays or making collages based on books they have read.

“It’s a little bit of structure, discipline, interest in reading to

stimulate their minds and do something interesting every day to enhance

their creativity,” said Diego Saldarriaga, a teacher’s aide.

Students in the program say they enjoy the chance to get a head start

on their homework and participate in imaginative projects.

“It’s fun because we like reading,” said fifth-grader Kim Nguyen, 10.

The collaborative recently applied for two grants -- one to expand

after-school services at all schools and one to start a new Project

Success program at Costa Mesa High School. Costa Mesa’s grant writer

helped the YMCA write the grant for thedistrict, said school readiness

facilitator Jane Garland.

“That’s exactly how the collaborative should work, so no money changes

hands, just expertise,” Garland said.

While the grant would provide $5 per student per day, it costs the

collaborative about $7 to $8 per day to fund a Project Success student,

Garland added.

Costa Mesa Mayor Libby Cowan also has a community objective of placing

$500,000 in a long-term fund for the collaborative so the city is able to

apply for matching funds. The City Council has already approved the

objective and will discuss earmarking the funds at its meeting

tonight.While 12,000 children live in the district, only 1,000 are being

served by Costa Mesa Cares. But at least 6,000 to 8,000 need this kind of

after-school support, Garland lamented.

“It’s a well-oiled collaboration,” Garland said, “but we want to make

it better.”