2000 Summer Wrap-Around Program: Another Summer of Fun For Youth

This summer, Rosalie Manor Community & Family Services once again participated in the Milwaukee Public Schools Summer Wrap-Around Program. This program consists of recreation activities that are offered free of charge before and after summer school. The two sites Rosalie Manor sponsored were 38th Street School and Westside Academy I.

The Summer Wrap-Around Recreation program is a 5-week morning and afternoon enrichment program for children enrolled in an MPS summer school. The program activities are designed to provide youth with positive opportunities to build their self-confidence, increase their social interaction and learn new skills all while having fun!

Both our sites operated using a similar schedule. Based on individual skills and talents, each staff member working with the program was responsible for planning and running a specific activity throughout the 5 weeks. Activity rooms included arts and crafts, indoor and outdoor games, sports, rest time, and story/reading time.

The staff worked hard to foster cooperation, teamwork, and responsibility among the students in a variety of ways. At Westside Academy I, the program was structured around a series of themes. Each week, a new theme was introduced, and projects and activities for the week would center on the theme. On Fridays, everyone would come together for a Friday Theme Day party. The themes explored this summer were: A Day at the Movies; Everybody's Birthday; Dancing, Dancing, Dancing; Art Show/Exhibition; and a combined Water Carnival and Awards Ceremony. The themes encouraged students to explore new interests and interact as an entire group.

One aspect of the program involves taking the students into the community to learn and experience new things. This year, our two sites went to Havenwoods State Forest, the Family Farm of Grafton, and to the IMAX to see the film, "Dolphins." All three field trips were fun and resulted in a great amount of new learning.

At 38th Street School, students had the chance to experience something new right in their own school. Several students participated in a special program with Artists Working in Education (AWE). AWE is a non-profit organization that brings professional artists into educational settings to work with children on ongoing art projects. The artists were at the school for 2 hours a day for an entire week. This was a week that many of the children greatly enjoyed, and AWE sparked an interest in art for many of the students.

Through the program, Rosalie Manor Community & Family Services served more than 300 students. This fun recreation program taught students about cooperation and responsibility, and helped them develop new interests and learn about the community. We would like to thank our dedicated staff, our field trip sites, and AWE for helping make this a great summer to remember!