EDUCATION

Big Horn County School District No. 4 students have embarked on a summer of learning and fun with 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC). Introduced 20 years ago, the Nita M. Lowey 21st CCLC program has brought kids K-12 a summer learning experience they won’t soon forget. For the majority of its time in Basin, the program has been run by community member Jamie Wamoff along with 13 other mentors and adults. The program not only provides a cure for summertime boredom, it also helps prepare students for their lives after school. The program runs year-round, focusing mainly on academic success during the school year by providing services aimed to provide students with the extra help outside of school. Their “Beyond the Bell” service allows struggling students to obtain the help they need, whether it is specialized help from one of the three high school mentors employed or simply a place to complete coursework. “The goal is to prepare students for the future. College and career readiness,” Wamoff said. During the summer, learning opportunities are offered as well as the opportunities to apply what they are learning to the world outside of school. Learning about the world surrounding us could prove to be a monotonous task, but Wamoff aims to find ways to add an element of adventure. “Offering a variety of learning opportunities, everything will be the coolest depending on which student you ask,” she said. “We will be doing a field trip to the Draper Museum to round out our first session in June. “It will bring into perspective the things learned in our units involving Nature Explorers, Heroes in Training, and Artists in Training. We also use our partners during the summer,” Wamoff expressed, “It is absolutely an adventure, every day is a learning experience, working with the age range we engage. Some days we learn more than they do.” Other adventures the students will partake in include hero training, training to explore art, and learning to explore nature during the remainder of the month. July will be full of adventures; students will create their very own costumes, travel time, and explore under the sea. The program will be saying goodbye to Wamoff after the summer program ends. “I have worked with the programs for almost 17 years, and I will be retiring after the summer program,” she said. “My experience working with the students, families, district, and partners has been a very rewarding experience. I loved it!” While the loss of Wamoff will leave a hole to fill, the program will continue to thrive. Funded almost entirely through grants, the services this program provides are completely free. Students K-12 may sign up to participate in whatever events they would like to, whether during the summer or during the school year.