Summer lunches include additional reading 'power' for students

Jun. 23—Youth in Dalton's Bay Drive neighborhood not only received meals recently, but books, and they were able to read, play games and complete activities with Dalton State College education students, all through the Power Lunches initiative.

Sarai Habana believes she'll be more prepared for school because of these summer enrichment opportunities, said the rising sixth-grader at North Whitfield Middle School. Habana had been a regular for several summers at her Power Lunches site, appreciating both the free books and food.

"I like books and reading," particularly the "I Survived" series of children's historical fiction novels by American author Lauren Tarshis, she said. She especially enjoys "reading out loud to my (brother)."

Whitfield County Schools pairs free summer meals with opportunities to read and collect books. A list of times and locations can be found online at https://www.wcsga.net/summer-reading. On summer Fridays, Dalton State education students visit various sites to interact with children as part of the Power Lunches program.

"It really benefits students, filling in that summer gap," said Monica Santiesteban, who is studying early childhood education at Dalton State. "They may not pick up a book during the summer otherwise."

"You could tell how excited they were," said Alondra Barragan, who is also studying early childhood education at Dalton State. "They ran up to us and asked, 'Do I get a book?'"

Power Lunches was launched nearly a decade ago, but expanded a few years ago due to a grant from the Governor's Office of Student Achievement, which provided not only books but items like puzzles and jump ropes, according to Stephanie Hogshead, director of volunteer engagement for the United Way of Northwest Georgia. "In the past few years we have had 10-12 Power Lunch sites, (but in 2020) we (had) 30."

The program is expanding again, beginning this summer, thanks to a $10,000 Innovative Education Grant from the Innovation Fund Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that supports the work of the Governor's Office of Student Achievement.

Whitfield County Schools will use the grant to expand the program, which has been targeted to students from birth through grade five, to roughly 100 students in middle and high school, as Summer Silent Book Clubs will be incorporated with the aim of boosting student engagement and combating the summer slide in reading and comprehension, according to the school system. Whitfield County Schools will also use funds to buy more books, create flexible seating to build inviting spaces in school libraries and offer incentives for book club participation.

This is the second summer Santiesteban is assisting with Power Lunches, and she's already seeing some benefits of the grant, she said. "They're letting us plan our lessons with the kids, and we were able to get whatever books we wanted."

Books and lessons are fused with academic content, too, like science, Barragan said. "We made a catapult with them, and they got materials to make one at home, too."

For Santiesteban, there's immeasurable value in actually going out into communities to work with youth, she said, noting, "It's fun to connect with them."

And it "helps us relate to them," Barragan said. For teachers, it's crucial to "see where (students) come from, to understand their point of view."

Barragan, a graduate of North Murray High School, has wanted to be an educator as long as she can remember, she said. "It excites me so much when they get excited about learning."

Santiesteban, a product of Dalton Public Schools, "had so many teachers who made an impact on me, and I want to be that teacher" for students, she said. "I want to make a difference in their lives, because so many teachers made a difference in my life."