ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, September 17, 1996 TAG: 9609170056
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Reporter's Notebook
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE
It takes a village to raise ...
Sorry. I realize the African proverb, through much overuse, has developed into a cliche. But a kernel of truth still remains: that while parents are responsible for their children, an involved community can add knowledge, guidance and possibilities to a child's life.
One of the best examples is a new after-school program for middle-school students in Blacksburg.
Five churches, the YMCA, the Blacksburg Middle School PTA and the Downtown Merchant's Association have geared the program toward students whose parents work or who aren't involved with other after-school activities.
In the spring, volunteers in a four-week pilot project entertained, instructed and generally kept an eye on 30 middle school students. Parents, senior citizens, Virginia Tech students, even a few high schoolers volunteered their time.
Attendance, volunteers said, was almost perfect.
Soon, the center will open full time, with two paid employees and a goal to keep kids so busy, they won't even be tempted by trouble.
Middle schoolers wobble on the precarious wall between being young enough for daycare, and old enough to stay home alone after school. Most daycare centers limit the age to 12, but even if they didn't, how many pre-teens do you know who would want to in the same room with "babies?"
But with many parents working outside of the home, these kids can't supervise themselves. According to one national study, most adolescent crime occurs between 3 and 6 p.m. weekdays.
"Unsupervised after-school hours represent a period of significant risk," said another study by the Carnegie Institute, "and is the most common time for adolescent sexual intercourse."
Program coordinator Rob Henry said he'll keep the children's bodies busy with biking and hiking trips, sports and craft projects. They'll hit the Lyric theater for a matinee, or Virginia Tech for a sporting event or performance. And, there will still be time for homework, and they'll even tutor those "babies" at Margaret Beeks Elementary School.
Parents will pay $15 each week to send their child to the center, quite a bargain considering pricey home-care or other options.
Thanks to a $10,000 grant from a generous - though shy - anonymous donor, the center is on its way to becoming self-sufficient.
Donations, though, are always welcome. Volunteers for the center are revered. Folks with afternoon time (that's a big hint to retirees and students out there) may call Henry at 951-4458.
LENGTH: Medium: 53 linesby CNB