Lighthouse--After-School And Summer Enrichment For Youth
The Lighthouse serves about 500 students--pre-kindergarten to eighth grade--through after-school and summer enrichment programs at Gentilly Terrace and Medard H. Nelson charter schools.
In summer 2011, the Lighthouse also began working with students at Alice M. Harte, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Edna Karr schools, affiliated with Algiers Charter Schools Association (ACSA). With this partnership, the Lighthouse serves pre-kindergarten through high school students in a broader community based on the West Bank of New Orleans.
The majority of schools served have low-academic performance. Most Lighthouse students are African-American and qualify for free or reduced-priced lunches.
Summer Camp 2011
Lighthouse summer camp operates for six weeks, five days a week, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm. Students receive breakfast, lunch and snack. ACSA students attend camp at the schools. Students from Nelson and Gentilly Terrace, because of renovations at their schools, experienced summer camp at University of New Orleans's Education Building, which gave them and their parents the sense and feel of a college campus.
Mornings are filled with hands-on science and math activities led by certified teachers and paraprofessionals. In the afternoon, students enjoy enrichment activities, including drama, dance, music and art projects. We partner with Louisiana Children's Museum, American Theatre Project and KID smART to provide enrichment. Students also go on field trips to places such as the Kenner Planetarium, State Museum in the French Quarter, New Orleans Museum of Art, Sculpture Garden and bowling.
School Year: Two Hours Of Enrichment Daily
During the school year, the Lighthouse adds two hours of instruction and enrichment to each child's school day.
The first hour focuses on homework and academics using curricula approved by the state, that aligns with the Department of Education's grade level expectations. After a snack, the second hour provides enrichment activities that may have been eliminated from the school day. Enrichment varies from robotics and yearbook club for high school students to chess, dance, drama and character development for students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grades.
The Lighthouse realizes the importance of informing and educating parents, so newsletters are sent home with helpful information about online educational resources, literacy tips to implement at home, testing-taking preparation and local educational events.