After-School Supplemental Instruction Program Expands to Washington Elementary

A San Leandro after school supplemental instruction program that offers elementary school students an opportunity to learn more math and science than their curriculum allows, recently expanded to another school and is a San Leandro Education Foundation (SLED) program.

The program known as Math and Science Challenge (MaSC) just finished a four-week program at Washington Elementary.

MaSC began two years ago as a six-week pilot program by Roosevelt Elementary School parents. They went through an entire year's worth of the program this school year — three eight-week sessions with 96 kids each session.

The Roosevelt Elementary program put in $1,000 to kick off the second program at Washington Elementary.

MaSC's overall goal is offer the program at all San Leandro elementary schools. It is entirely funded by parents and local businesses. However, as being part of SLED, organizers hope to get grants funding as well.

The program hires locals as teachers and works with the learning lounge known as TeachBar, for staffing.

According to organizers, classes focus on educational subjects or experiences that students do not get in the classroom, such as creative math or dissecting a cow's eye.

A donation is requested to cover the costs for each session to help pay for the program, but families who feel they cannot afford this can choose to pay a reduced amount or attend for free.

Approximately half of the students are recommended by the teachers, to ensure these students have a chance to be part of the program. The other half of the students enroll through an open enrollment. Organizers said a majority of the students who are recommended by teachers are girls and minorities.

Tim Holmes, a parent behind the program, feels that it is a huge benefit for kids in the community.

"It's an effort to return the celebration of excellence, keep our kids from being bored in class, and to prevent the outflow of kids to private schools by parents who believe those schools can better educate their children," Tim Holmes wrote in an email.