SHINE program still going strong in Palmerton
Elementary students, from left, Daymian Stecker-Gellock, Dalainey Keiser and Wyatt Gable create snowboarders and snowboards for a STEAM project recently during the SHINE after-school program in Palmerton Area School District. Scan this photo with the Prindeo app to see a video. JARRAD HEDES/TIMES NEWS
Jesse Verba, a second-year participant in the SHINE after-school program in the Palmerton Area School District, studies craft pieces which will eventually become a snowboard and snowboarder. Students raced their creations down a makeshift hill as part of a STEAM project during the Winter Olympics in February.
First- and second-grade students in the Palmerton Area School District work on their after-dinner STEAM activity as part of the SHINE after-school program. Around 25 students attend the program in Palmerton, which is in its second year.
While it got a late start due to a delay in state funding, the Carbon and Schuylkill SHINE Afterschool Program is off and running in its second year in the Palmerton Area School District.
Around 25 students attend the program, which runs four days a week for three hours.
“We’re so excited to be back,” lead teacher Michelle Davis said during a recent session at Parkside Education Center. “The program really helps our students, whether it be with social skills or in math, reading or other academics at school.”
SHINE, which stands for Schools & Homes in Education, is administered through Lehigh Carbon Community College. Students are referred by teachers, counselors and by others, such as workers at social agencies.
In its 13th year, the program serves more than 800 children, at no cost to the families, every night in grades kindergarten through high school throughout Carbon and Schuylkill counties.
It is aimed at helping students who need a jump start in reading, math and science skills.
A typical day in Palmerton, Davis said, starts with an afternoon meeting and also includes a message of the day, time for help with homework, dinner and a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) activity.
For Jesse Verba, a second-year student in the SHINE program, the after-dinner activity is among the highlights of his day.
“It’s really fun,” he said. “One day we made a maze with PopCubes, and today we’re making a snowboard to see how far it can go down a hill.”
Last year, only first-grade students in Palmerton were eligible for the program, but it was opened up for first and second grade in 2018.
Students in SHINE improved their rate for completing homework and increased performance on report cards in reading, science or math by at least 80 percent. Attendance has also been on the rise for SHINE attendees.
Davis said Palmerton’s teachers have definitely noticed a difference from year one to year two.
“Their academic grades went up drastically,” she said. “Sight word recognition has improved and, socially, there is a big difference. The students, many of whom were very shy, are breaking out of that bubble. We really work on bringing out their strengths and trying to improve areas where they may not be as comfortable.”
Caden Hagerty said one of the benefits of SHINE is being able to get help with homework and playing with friends in the program.
“We’ve also worked with robots that can do things based on codes we create,” Hagerty said. “That is one of my favorite activities.”
Coinciding with the Winter Olympics, students created snowboards using different classroom supplies. Students then raced their creations against one another and logged results in their journals.
Every month, families get to join in on the fun.
“We had around 80 people recently for a family STEAM night, and that is the most we’ve had so far,” Davis said. “It’s very exciting that we’re seeing that type of participation.”
