Adventures In Learning Programs

“We provide our children with a safe haven after school and the opportunity to achieve stability, self-sufficiency, self esteem and hope for the future.”

Margaret Grundman, Adventures in Learning Founder

Early Childhood Reading

EARLY CHILDHOOD READING
Focus Program

The Early Childhood Reading Program administered by three reading specialists, is modeled on professional tutoring programs shown to be highly effective for improving reading outcomes. A balanced reading approach, incorporating the strategies of Reading Recovery and the Wilson program, are presently being used by the reading specialists.

Each day our kindergarten, first and second graders are “pulled out” from Adventures’ after school homework and enrichment program and given individual reading instruction. Our results have been profound. Each year, these early readers have improved their reading levels by 6 months to 2 years.

Avery Gray & Anna Kapl;an

ENGLISH AS A NEW LANGUAGE
Focus Program

The purpose of this program is to address the needs of our English Language Learners (ELL) by providing an English as a New Language (ENL) program within the Adventures in Learning after school program.   Many of our students are American citizens, born in the US, but only begin speaking English when they enter school, and have had no exposure to the language up to that point. 

 The Adventures in Learning after school program’s student body is 61% Spanish-speaking. We have included in our teaching staff an ENL teacher to give individual instruction to the newest language learners in order to accelerate their language proficiency.

Enrolled students are teacher-supervised in a quiet, structured, academically stimulating environment. Students’ questions are answered and homework progress is monitored.

Film

FILM
Focus Program

The Film Workshop teaches children to make stories come to life. This class focuses on a basic understanding of organizing and writing stories, lighting, camera theory, and editing.  The emphasis is on giving the students a creative way to express their thoughts through story-telling.

 

Francisco Diaz

HOMEWORK BUDDIES
Focus Program

The heart of our program, after-school instruction and homework assistance, has served so many children in our local community, children who would otherwise be left behind in many respects, children who have gone on to lead successful, fulfilling lives because someone cared enough to pay particular attention to them, to assist with homework on a daily basis.

Enrolled students are teacher-supervised in a quiet, structured, academically stimulating environment. Students’ questions are answered and homework progress is monitored.

Our goal, as often as possible, is to have students greet you at 5:00 saying “Guess what, I finished my homework!”

Math

MATH
Focus Program

Our math specialist addresses the increasing needs of math instruction for our entire student body.  Ensuring the development of mathematics competence during the primary grades is essential to later learning success.  Our students are given more learning opportunities to succeed through the tutoring of a math specialist.  Ensuring the development of mathematics competence during the primary grades is essential to later learning success.

Identifying students who need more help and provid¬ing these students with high-quality interventions has shown to be an effective strategy. To realize the full effectiveness of this goal, each day the math specialist works one on one or in groups of 3 or fewer students  to address the mathematic skills  of the most in need students at Adventures’ after school homework and enrichment program. 

Nutrition

NUTRITION
Focus Program

Nutrition is an important part of Adventures in Learning’s instruction.  The program was created to give children an opportunity to try, taste, choose, incorporate and eat healthier food choices at meals and snack times.

During our Friday program, children participate in the preparation and cooking of healthy foods prepared by our staff or other nutrition and restaurant professionals.

The children enjoy trying healthy food in the company of their peers.  They enthusiastically take home new recipes to introduce to their families. 

Science

SCIENCE
Core Program

Children learn about the world through science by doing different science experiments with magnets, electricity, and dyes.

Enrolled students are teacher-supervised in a quiet, structured, academically stimulating environment. Students’ questions are answered and homework progress is monitored.

Our goal, as often as possible, is to have students greet you at 5:00 saying “Guess what, I finished my homework!”

STEM

STEM
Core Program

STEM education involves the study of science and mathematics, and the meaningful integration of technology and engineering to provide opportunities for innovative problem solving. Using the engineering design process, students identify problems, develop and test possible solutions, and ultimately reach a solution.

 The integration of mathematics, science, and engineering practices used in conjunction with digital literacy helps students recognize and utilize the variety of perspectives that may be tapped into in order to help unravel complex inquiries. hello world!

Arts & Crafts

ARTS & CRAFTS
Recreation Program

This class provides a supportive environment for students to explore their individual talents and gain confidence in their expression through art.

Projects include painting, drawing, techniques for portrait drawings, clay and other mixed media projects. By popular request our class will include a tie-dye T-shirt project. A creative and fun time.

Basketball

BASKETBALL
Recreation Program

The Basketball Program at Adventures in Learning takes place every Tuesday afternoon from 4:30 – 6 PM.  Skill development in ball handling, shooting, passing, and rebounding, along with team play, are just a few of the program’s highlights.

Dance

DANCE
Recreation Program

The Dance Program is taught by a professional dance teacher who studied under Frank Hatchett, and then Nat Horne in NYC, as well as, the Alvin Ailey School and Steps.  She also danced with the African Dance Company, Liberation Ensemble, and with Dance EPIC.  She teaches dance to children and adults at a prominent dance school.  She teaches our students African dance, hip hop, and jazz. 

Girl Scouts

ROBOTICS & CODING
Community Program

The Adventures in Learning Robotics and Coding program uses Lego Robotics which is an introduction to text-based computer programming or coding. Participants learn programming in a fun variation of BASIC language. BASIC (an acronym for Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use.

Our budding coders begin their journey like any computer programmer with their first “Hello, World”. The coders then learn about using variables and functions to automate repetitive tasks. They create shapes and movement using loops and conditionals. The challenge is for the participants to move their robots using keyboard and mouse keys.

The Robotics and Coding program has been generously supported by the Manhasset Community Fund through their Greentree Good Neighbor Grant. 

Summer Camp

SUMMER CAMP
Community Program

Students 8 years and older attend professionally run sleepaway camps for one month in order to have a safe, fun-filled summer. Camp is one of the few institutions where young people can experience and satisfy their need for physical activity, creative expression and true participation in a community environment. Camp activities and group living in a natural environment are the tools used to create camp communities that provide for successful, healthy development and a place where having fun is a daily criterion. In such a structured environment, children interact with positive role models who have time to listen, talk, relax, and reflect. They learn to work together, make choices, take responsibility, develop creative skills, build independence and self-reliance, and gain confidence. All are necessary steps on a child’s path to a healthy, productive life.

Adventures in Learning provides camp experiences for 60 children in the summer through the generosity of the Jacob Marley Foundation, the Josephine Foundation, as well as, a charitable trust and private donors, all of which focus on supporting programs for underserved children.