Spring Break
CEL programs suspended at Prospect Hill
by Alana Abramson
Staff writer
News | 11/25/08
Posted online at 4:06 AM EST on 11/25/08
Nadia Hemady, a graduate student in cultural production who volunteers at Prospect Hill and helps the tenants with computer training, said she thinks the programming will gain traction if the economy improves. However, she said "the main objective is a strong tenants' association that will empower the tenants and enable them to take control of their destiny at the center."
The ultimate goal of putting more responsibility in the hands of the parents, Auslander said, is to "see more family literacy."
"I think that previously, it was intimidating to have Brandeis volunteers in the center. I think the parents will understand that as parents, they have the skills and capacity to teach their children," he said.
Jacqueline Kohos '11 said that many of the children had behavioral problems that the volunteers felt they were not always equipped to handle.
The shift in responsibility seems to be having a positive effect on the tenants. Auslander said. The community center held a meeting Nov. 17 to discuss these new changes, and approximately 20 parents of the children using the center attended. At the meeting, the teenagers using the center voiced their opinions and said they wanted relaxation time before beginning their homework. Reactions about the loss of programming were mixed among Prospect Hill volunteers. "I think this is a really positive thing. The Community [Engaged] Learning program was supposed to embody relations between students and the tenants, but parents were rarely present. These changes present an opportunity for the parents. Now that they have to be in the center, it gives them a chance to be more involved," Kohos said.
Hemady said that she was ambivalent about the decision. "I think it was necessary from a financial point of view, but it is very unfortunate." Although Hemady said that she thinks the center will still need additional volunteers, like Auslander and Kohos, she said increasing the tenants' responsibility at the center will further their self-sufficiency. "The parents that have offered to be involved in the center have a genuine interest in helping their children and will follow through on their commitment."
Wong wrote in her e-mail that the Waltham Kids Club and Big Siblings, which are run through the Waltham Group, will still be offered, in addition to English tutoring for adults and occasional programming for middle school boys and girls led by Brandeis students.
The ultimate goal of putting more responsibility in the hands of the parents, Auslander said, is to "see more family literacy."
"I think that previously, it was intimidating to have Brandeis volunteers in the center. I think the parents will understand that as parents, they have the skills and capacity to teach their children," he said.
Jacqueline Kohos '11 said that many of the children had behavioral problems that the volunteers felt they were not always equipped to handle.
The shift in responsibility seems to be having a positive effect on the tenants. Auslander said. The community center held a meeting Nov. 17 to discuss these new changes, and approximately 20 parents of the children using the center attended. At the meeting, the teenagers using the center voiced their opinions and said they wanted relaxation time before beginning their homework. Reactions about the loss of programming were mixed among Prospect Hill volunteers. "I think this is a really positive thing. The Community [Engaged] Learning program was supposed to embody relations between students and the tenants, but parents were rarely present. These changes present an opportunity for the parents. Now that they have to be in the center, it gives them a chance to be more involved," Kohos said.
Hemady said that she was ambivalent about the decision. "I think it was necessary from a financial point of view, but it is very unfortunate." Although Hemady said that she thinks the center will still need additional volunteers, like Auslander and Kohos, she said increasing the tenants' responsibility at the center will further their self-sufficiency. "The parents that have offered to be involved in the center have a genuine interest in helping their children and will follow through on their commitment."
Wong wrote in her e-mail that the Waltham Kids Club and Big Siblings, which are run through the Waltham Group, will still be offered, in addition to English tutoring for adults and occasional programming for middle school boys and girls led by Brandeis students.
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