One of the many tragic fallouts of the pandemic is the setback to the education of our nation’s youth. Remote learning has helped avoid a completely lost year, but to say it’s been a challenge is a vast understatement.
PESA is proud of the educational programs we’ve developed and offered to schools in the Los Angeles area. Curriculum topics such as healthy habits, natural feelings and utilizing resources have proven valuable in “normal” times and especially helpful in these unprecedented days. Challenger Middle School in the Antelope Valley is just one of some 15 schools that have availed themselves of these programs, and we’re especially proud of the effects they’ve had on that school’s underserved, under-resourced students.
One of those students is 13-year-old 8th grader Alyssa (not her real name). She has been attending the presentations since September, and they’ve already had a positive impact on her. Alyssa says she was nervous about transferring from homeschool to Challenger. Scholastically, she had been getting Fs, and socially, she was uncomfortable meeting new people. But since participating in daily PESA programs, Alyssa has been earning As, and she’s getting more confident and comfortable with others. She is always participating and volunteering to read during the presentations.
Alyssa says the programs have expanded her horizons, teaching her about Black Lives Matter, COVID-19, U.S. presidents and political parties. She says some of her favorite presentations have been those about kindness and empathy. She hopes to learn about foster kids and the foster care system and high school preparedness in future presentations. Overall, Alyssa says the presentations are “really good, fun, and interesting,” and we’d say that’s an awfully good assessment.
Your continued support of PESA allows us to help Alyssa and so many others like her.