My name is Shinda Alfred. I am currently a teacher in New York and had have the pleasure in serving two of the Ascend Charter schools network with my  DIY Enrichment Program. I have provided a DIY (do it yourself After-school enrichment workshop) to two schools in the Ascned network for 5 years and would like to expand my program in providing this very same experience to students across NYC. I would love to speak with someone regarding the process in expanding my program. Here’s a little more about the program. I have also attached a link and some pictures to view some of the products that scholars have produced over the years: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:7f82ec20-aa51-4db9-a256-5f746181c41b

Our Vision

This program has been tested for five years in 5 different grade levels (4th-8th) and the benefits and excitement that the DIY program has provided students, parents, after-school staff, program directors, principals and staff members is simply amazing and inspiring. Our vision is to partner with schools throughout NYC to provide students the opportunity to learn and practice essential life skills through our DIY Program. This unique, engaging, inspiring Program will foster lifelong love of learning, foster ingenuity, and creativity, builds resilience and confidence, Encourages Teamwork, acquire real world skills, Teaches, and encourages problem-solving, and encourages adaptation. We believe that each child deserves a chance to experiment and learn through hands-on activities that ignite their creative/artistic ability, explore new interest, improve social skills, practice critical thinking and leadership skills. Providing opportunities in which students can dig deeper into their creative/artistic abilities can help support students academic learning and boost students’ enthusiasm and confidence.

Collaboration and Diversity

 We the instructors learn a great deal about Diversity from the students we teach and interact with. It is imperative for us as a company to recognize the complexity of experiences in our classrooms to build upon discussions/discourse relating to culture and identity. Collaboration paved the way for higher level thinking skills, oral communication, build self-esteem, self-management, and leadership skills.  Identity diversity and collaboration are essential drivers to lifelong love of learning, builds resilience and confidence and fosters ingenuity and creativity.

Future Projection

Our goal is to provide each student a chance to experience this amazing hand-on, informative activity program/workshop. The children are our future; therefore, providing a program that encourages curiosity, foster ingenuity, and creativity, identifies talent and key areas of interest and ability, builds resilience and confidence, knowledge exposure, encourages problem solving and adaptations and acquire real world skills is the driving force to building lifelong memories one student at a time.

 Benefits of the Program/workshop

Here are some reasons why you should partner with us to provide your students with a program/workshop that focuses on the whole child. Below are a few benefits of the DIY program/workshop.

• No Pressure/Stress.

• Fosters Lifelong Love of Learning.

• Fosters Ingenuity, and Creativity.

• Builds Resilience and Confidence.

• Encourages Teamwork.

• Acquire Real World Skills.

• Teaches, and Encourages Problem-Solving.

• Encourages Adaptation.

• Practice Leadership and Entrepreneurial Skills

• Improve social skills

• Practice Critical Thinking Skills