We have had an amazing 11 days at WE WIN’s Summer Program. We are serving over 50 wanafunzi (children), kindergarten through eighth grades. We have 5 adult educators as well as 6 teen workers. Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, we have Community Specialists that are teaching your children dance, singing, drumming, storytelling, dolls, art, yoga and legos.
When wanafunzi (students) come in the morning, they eat breakfast, come together in Circle, where they share something about themselves with other youth, and they do the WE WIN Rituals, which include the Black National Anthem and the Deservability Statement. All rituals are designed to help wanafuzi (children) feel good about themselves, learn about Black culture, and support them in giving their best. On Wednesdays, we partner with the Minnesota Arboretum to work in our Garden which is on the Olson Highway side of Zion Baptist Church. Each youth has their own garden plot, and they learn so much about the ecosystem, how bugs support the growth of fruits and vegetables, and they learn that food from the ground tastes delicious. They are also learning recipes that they can share at home.
Each morning, K-5 read a book weekly, which is accompanied with an activity. When they complete the book, they take it home to build their home library of books by Black authors and illustrators. The 6-8th graders are reading, “The Watsons go to Birmingham,” by Christopher Paul Curtis, which is a chapter book. They are strengthening their language arts skills and creating projects based on the book.
Every Friday, we go on a field trip for wanafunzi (children) who complete all their projects during the week. On Friday, July 12th, we are going swimming at Jim Lupient. Make sure to bring your swimming suit and a towel. On Friday July 19th we are going to Valley Fair. We will take care of the costs for getting into Valley Fair. Your child will need to bring money for toys or extra things that Valley Fair sales.
We love working with your children!
Titilayo Bediako,
Executive Director
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