| Show Players Play Big Part in School It Childrens Children's Uv Wes S By Sara Nelson News Editor tor The K 6 Players a volunteer volunteer volunteer volun volun- teer theater group of students staff and faculty are participating in inan inan inan an school after-school program called Do Something Project that is geared towards risk high-risk elementary school children Through the program Players community members and students from the U. U of ofU U. U create an environment which emphasizes diverse cultures languages and art The main goal of the Do Something Project is to interact with the th children children children chil chil- dren and have them learn interpersonal interpersonal interpersonal and inter-cultural inter skills said Suzanne McKenna associate professor of fine arts and K 6 Players director The Players demonstrate different ways for students to think act feel express e press themselves learn poetry and plays interact with each other and just have fun McKenna said They do this through the appreciation of different languages storytelling mentoring recreation and fine arts She said that these skills are often not acknowledged nor articulated in a traditional setting Were helping the kids learn how to play how to pretend and to learn their world Its It's an opportunity for them just to have fun and be creative creative cre- cre creative cre cre- McKenna said The program is specifically designed for the Granger Elementary school children said Margaret Aoki visual media coordinator and K 6 Players trainer This is a school where many of the children are considered at risk Many of the children are being raised in single parent ethnic homes where the parents arent aren't comfortable with English language skills and the kids are exposed to the neighborhood gangs Aoki said Were Vere making a concerted effort to help these kids learn leam positive things about themselves and through using unique play explore in a non- non threatening environment Statistics reveal that almost 64 percent of the Granger 1 c V y 1 r. r Y 7 ti c r i t t f f sS k 5 1 t 94 S r rc c cw Q 55 c w t S S 'S SC 4 S r C S j S Y r 4 a 4 a Through nontraditional teaching methods in acting out the poem Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout how to become the essence of garbage Elementary students Players teach Granger Elementary students are single parented parented parented par- par with about the same percentage percent percent- age of student turnover during a year About 15 percent of the students have limited English proficiency with the main being Hispanic Asian Black Native American Vietnamese and Pacific Islanders With the multi-cultural multi up make-up at the school the need to interact with acceptance of different languages languages languages lan lan- and backgrounds is crucial McKenna said Most of the plays the K 6 Players perform incorporate rate several languages Studies have shown that the minority students need to feel validated validated validated vali vali- dated for their language and culture said Steve U. U of U. U professor professor professor pro pro- fessor of second languages When this happens their self-esteem self rises and that translates to better English skills and better academic records The U. U of U. U language students focus on the multi-language multi component component component compo compo- nent of the program As part of E a class the U. U of U. U students interact with Granger students in a learning game having each person communicate cate in their native language university university university uni uni- uni- uni also said that the students learn leam to operate in a environment environment environment multi-cultural multi and m multilingual and can better understand issues that pertain to the ilie elementary students Part of what the university students learn leam will be recorded in a documentary that focuses on diversity diversi diversi- ty and the community this will be nationally distributed The program is funded by a grant from the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice and financial donations donations donations dona dona- from business partners The money is used to provide supplies forthe for forthe forthe the different components of the after- after school projects and used for classes to provide general skills for the chil chil- drens dren's parents Along with in-class in activities activities' the theDo Do Something Project offers students stu- stu students students stu stu- dents arts and crafts and the opportunity opportunity opportunity to play on a team sport With the initial success of students students stu- stu students stu stu- dents participating and liking the program other schools have asked for similar school after-school programs aswell as aswell aswell well McKenna said Player Delan Jensen has gained self-satisfaction self through volunteering volunteering volunteering vol vol- vol- vol I Ithe for this project and said the success of the program already is apparent with the children discovering discovering discovering discover discover- ing and embracing different ways to learn leam learned that just because they do things differently doesn't mean they are wrong Jensen said Their attitudes are changing and the kids are learning together how to express themselves themselves' and their culture They They're re smiling laughing hugging 4 iiIi w e- e |
