Rocketry Planet

SAN LUIS, Arizona USA — After-school programs at Southwest Junior High School and San Luis Middle School are now getting more funding and resources.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, a federal grant for enrichment and remediation programs, will provide $500,000 to each school over a five-year period. The Gadsden Elementary School District's other schools have received this grant since 2005, but this is the first time it has expanded to the middle schools.

Jose Antona, a seventh-grader at San Luis Middle School, cuts out the fins for a model rocket he is building for an after-school science project. Photo: Sarah Reynolds/The Yuma Sun.

According to Rosy Ballesteros, community relations specialist for the district, the money will be used for programs including tutoring in English, mathematics, computers, sports and various after-school clubs. Parents can attend classes on citizenship, GED, English as a Second Language and on how to use a computer.

All 21st Century programs are aligned with Arizona state education standards.

Francisco Vasquez, a science teacher at San Luis Middle School, used the grant program to start an after-school model rocket-making activity with some of his students. Eventually their rockets will have to fly successfully, and land safely, with an egg inside.

Vasquez said he wants to enter a team in NASA's Team America Rocketry Challenge. More than 700 middle schools compete in the rocket-crafting challenge each year.

Vasquez said the rocketry exercise keeps the students engaged while putting their math and science lessons to practical use.

"We're teaching them geometry, triangulation ... basically they need to find distance versus altitude," he said.

SLMS Principal Margarito Uranga said though they have to report extensively on the number of students in their programs, they can shape each activity to fit the school's needs.

"We can build and change throughout the quarters and semesters," he said. "We're to target our community, our parents, our students and focus on literacy, reading, writing and science."

Copyright © 2007, The Yuma Sun.