Articles

After-School All-Stars Dallas Creates MIRACLES for District Students

COMMUNICATOR, The Newsletter of the Staff of the Dallas Independent School District, December 6, 2004

     Sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students at three learning centers are getting a jump on their futures and bridging the digital divide through the MIRACLES after-school program.

     The students are learning basic and advanced computer skills that include technology fundamentals, web design, video production, programming, and networking.  Students also receive assistance with their homework, reading and math, life skills, and communication skills.

     “The exposure to technology gives students the skills and confidence they need to help them figure out their future career paths,” said Robin Hutchison, executive director of After-School All-Stars Dallas, one of the sponsors of the program.

     Students at Charles Rice and H.S. Thompson learning centers and their parents make a seven-year commitment to the program, beginning in sixth grade and continuing through high school graduation.  In seventh and eighth grade, the program is offered to interested students across the district at Pearl C. Anderson Middle Learning Center.  Next fall, MIRACLES will establish a computer lab at Lincoln High School to serve the current students who will participate in upper-level curriculum.  These students will focus on a particular technology career track and can earn professional technology certifications.

     The MIRACLES program is now in its third year in Dallas schools and is made possible by the Todd Wagner Foundation and After-School All-Stars Dallas, formerly Inner-City Games.  The foundation installed computer labs at the schools and developed the curriculum.  

     “The curriculum makes it so easy for me as a teacher,” said Regina Bynum-Gray, computer specialist/teacher technologist and lead teacher for the MIRACLES program at Rice Learning Center.  “We follow a daily curriculum that starts with the basics – the parts of a computer and keyboarding – and builds up through the different computer programs and skill levels.  By the time the students move into seventh grade, they know how to download and place digital images, create a Powerpoint presentation, and design a Web page.  They even help me troubleshoot computers in other classrooms.”

     Students attend the after-school program four days a week, two hours a day.  The program also includes visits from guest speakers, field trips, and community outreach projects.  In addition, the students’ parents can attend adult literacy classes or learn computer fundamentals. 

     “The students are really excited about the program,” said Bynum-Gray.  “Last year, as part of their community outreach, the students put together skits and songs to help recruit fifth-graders for this year’s program.  They wanted to make sure another group of students received the opportunities they were given.”

     To learn about teaching and mentoring opportunities or to enroll students, call MIRACLES at 214-413-2800.  For more information on the MIRACLES program and the Todd Wagner Foundation, visit www.miracles.org.  For more information on After-School All-Stars Dallas, visit dallasafterschoolallstars.org.