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Center for Human Services - EdVentures Program
Success Story
Eighteen-year-old Chayrel Adames is a young woman
with a bright future, thanks to lots of hard work,
perseverance, and some help from the staff at Aries
Drive Educational Enhancement Center.
Ms. Adames is one of many youths who have been
helped by the EdVentures Program at Satellite
Village Housing Development, located on Aries Drive
behind Campbell Elementary School in the North End
of New Bedford. Sponsored by the Center for Human
Services, Inc., an affiliate of the Seven Hills
Foundation, the 5-year-old program offers children
who live in the development a safe, quiet place to
do their homework and help with school assignments.
Chayrel Adames began attending the center in as an
8th grader and found that it was “a much better
place to do homework than my house, which is way too
noisy.”
In addition, she feels that the tutors, who are
on-hand daily to assist the students, helped her
succeed in school. “If you’re stuck on something,
they will find a way to help you out with it. They
also make sure to explain how to do things, such as
writing a paper, so students know how to do them
properly.”
Focusing on grades 4-8, the EdVentures Program
supports an average of about 50 students per year
and recently opened a second center on Amanda Avenue
at Dottin Place Housing Development, which is also
funded by the United Way.
“This is a home away from home for a lot of these
kids,” said Susan Audette, Director of the Aries
Drive Educational Enhancement Center. “We try to
teach students that if they want to do well in
school, conduct is key. Once they start acting
respectfully and improving their grades, their
self-esteem increases and they realize that they can
be successful in school and in the community.”
Chayrel, who received the Youth Hispanic Award in
2004 and will be attending the college of her choice
in the fall, is now able to share some of what she
has learned as a tutor at the Aries Drive Center. “I
have seen kids go from a C or D on one report card
to a B on the very next one. I wanted to be a tutor
here because I know the program works.”
In addition to working on homework and school
projects, the students also have access to a
computer lab, help with MCAS preparation and
occasional field trips. “The funding we receive from
United Way is so helpful. We use it to pay for
school supplies, textbooks, computer software,
tutors – really everything,” said Ms. Audette. |
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