KITE: Kids in Training to Excel (2007-2010)

KITE was a homework center, tutoring and mentoring, held in a large multi-family community in Lynnwood. The goal was to get the service close to the home. It served youth in grades 6th through 9th crucial years in developing a good work ethic and preparing students for high school. A teacher managed the twice-weekly study table program with volunteers, computers, and additional support. During summer, we offered three day a week focus on study skills, test taking strategies, and board games. Management stated the atmosphere in the complex changed as students became more studious, attentive to their behavior, and polite. We published an all-inclusive "How To" manual as a template for setting the program into practice. It includes material on site selection, personal, and day-to-day operations. It also includes thirty-five study skill lessons in an easy to present format along with examples of forms, letters and newsletters which can be customized to fit individual needs. It was a great experience, but the difficulty was the most large complexes do not have a room to be designated to constant use. We also learned that we need to be closer to school data and the school environment to really make an academic impact.