Andrew Matthews, a UH student in the teachHOUSTON program, reads a story with Aaliyah, 6, during the post-Harvey camp at Workshop Houston.
With local schools closed in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the University of Houston College of Education organized a three-day camp in Third Ward to keep children active and engaged during the unexpected extension of summer break.
The College partnered with Workshop Houston, a nonprofit that specializes in after-school arts programming, to pack the days with dancing, painting, sewing, reading, drum playing, puzzle making, jump roping and more 鈥� easing the youngsters into the structure of school.
鈥淩outines are so important for kids,鈥� said Krista Coleman, the College鈥檚 teacher certification officer, who helped lead the camp. 鈥淭he faculty and staff pulling together to help this community and wrapping our arms around these families 鈥� it鈥檚 directly in line with the mission of the College. It has been a tremendous honor.鈥�
The camp volunteers included professors and staff from the College of Education, plus students majoring in teaching, Workshop Houston staff, the Bellaire High School girls鈥� soccer team and members of the UH women鈥檚 basketball team.
鈥淚 just want to help as much as I can,鈥� Maddie Altofer, a junior teaching major, said between art projects.
Sitting beside 7-year-old Landon, Altofer pinched a black piece of clay, showing him how to shape a hat for the snowman he was creating.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure what to expect,鈥� Altofer said of the camp. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very nurturing. I love it.鈥�
At another table, teaching major Claire Orewiler worked with Ezunee, a soon-to-be 10-year-old, on a butterfly drawing.
鈥淒o you work on Saturday?鈥� Ezunee asked Orewiler. 鈥淐an you come to my birthday party?鈥�
Aundria Rogers, another teaching student, had signed up to volunteer for one day of camp but decided to return for a second. She was getting to know some of the students from Blackshear Elementary, where she would be working as a student teacher once the Houston Independent School District reopened.
HISD postponed the start of the school year by at least two weeks after flooding from Harvey made streets impassable, campuses uninhabitable and displaced countless employees and families.
鈥淚 wanted to be that constant face the children see,鈥� Rogers said.
Blackshear Elementary is just two blocks from Workshop Houston, so the campers were able to eat breakfast and lunch at the school thanks to HISD鈥檚 free meal program.
鈥淚t was great to see our teacher candidates honing their skills,鈥� said Amber Thompson, who oversees the College of Education鈥檚 teacher-preparation program. 鈥淚 saw them adjust activities to meet the needs of individual students and create a supportive environment.鈥�
Thompson, a former middle school science teacher, even snuck in a lab of sorts, helping the children make 鈥渟lime鈥� 鈥� a concoction of glue, Borax, water and food coloring.
鈥淕iving children an outlet to express themselves is extremely important following a traumatic event,鈥� said UH College of Education Dean Robert McPherson, whose background is in counseling psychology. 鈥淚鈥檓 also thankful our camp was able to provide parents some relief as they dealt with the stress of Harvey or had to return to work.鈥�
Jaime Herrero, executive director of Workshop Houston, said he was glad the nonprofit could help more families through the UH camp, in addition to extending the hours of its after-school program.
鈥淚t was great to engage students in fun and educational activities throughout the week,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur staff showed them the basics of sewing, making music and dancing. 鈥� I think that structure and regularity really helped the students, and their families, drown out the chaos that took place in the aftermath of the storm.鈥�
La鈥橳osha Rogers, a mother of three who lives nearby in the Cuney Homes housing project, said she was grateful her older children had a place to learn and play for a couple of days.
鈥淚 was able to get my 4-month-old daughter鈥檚 shots taken care of because of you all,鈥� Rogers told a camp volunteer as she picked up her 7-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter.
鈥揃y Ericka Mellon
鈥揚hotos by Jaime Questell, Ericka Mellon and Kathy Patnaude