A Welcoming Place

My first few weeks of Homework Club were such a whirlwind of trying to keep up, stay organized, find this folder, put that away and remember lots of little details that make this place run smoothly. In the last few sessions, I have been able to spend more time observing the students and in those little moments of watching them work, share a meal or complete an assignment I discovered what this space represents – for many of them it is the purest definition of home.
This program is a space where they are always welcome, where they are greeted with excitement or anticipation by tutors who want to hear all about their day. Homework Club is a place where they know where everything is, they have a favorite spot to sit, its comfortable and familiar and sometimes I swear I can see them heave a sigh of relief when they enter this space.
They are no longer anonymously wandering the halls or feeling ignored; in this program they are seen and heard and understood. And at the end of the day isn’t that what all of us are searching for? What a blessing that we can collaborate to create a space where this happens for young people.
~ Katie Simonson

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