When Thomas would come home in the afternoons from the Youth Development Academy, he wouldn’t stop talking. He’d be bursting with a story about his day or rushing to show his family a project he’d made.
Even his great aunt — whose eyesight wasn’t good enough to see other accomplishments — could partake. GEAR UP — ShareFest’s partner who ran the science portion of the Academy — used the theme “why things glow” this year, and those science projects of glowing liquids and blinking fiber optics were perfect for Thomas to show his great aunt, even with her bad vision.
The same projects would sit next to Thomas’ bed every night so he could lean over and work on them even as he went to sleep.
“I’m so glad he was able to come,” Thomas’ aunt Vickie Boone said. “He learned so much.”
Vickie sat next to her nephew at the end of the YDA when parents and guardians got a glimpse of the four-week program during a finale luncheon.
Thomas (middle) didn't hesitate to say the pool was one of his favorite parts.
They saw slide shows and videos of what the students did that month. They heard the cheer that went up from the 150 youth when their counselors were introduced. And they got to take home science projects students built with luminescent wires.
It was the culmination of a four-week long haul that gave students a chance to learn and grow even after summer school had been canceled for almost all of them.
“[Thomas] was especially excited the first day,” Vickie said.
On that first day, Thomas went through a theater arts session with kids from across the South Bay and Harbor areas and learned to trust them while they acted out small scenes and had to rely on the arms and strength of other team members.
Thomas (right) and his team getting in each other's personal space.
Through the rest of the four weeks, Thomas and other students would act out skits, learn about community building through creative writing, look into their future by writing personal mission and vision statements, construct science projects with GEAR UP, romp around the soccer field and basketball court, take a tour of the L.A. Galaxy’s facilities and watch the soccer team practice, and hit Cal State University Dominguez’s pool diving board more than a few times.
And that’s just scratching the surface.
“I hope they have it next year. I really hope they have it next year,” Thomas and Vickie said.
Thomas and his aunt Vickie after the celebration, taking one of his projects home
The YDA ended today, but keep checking back in the coming week to hear exactly what the kids have to say. There’s much more the be told.
