After-school tutoring program bridges gap for children in need





Justin Bautista, a first-grader at Pinewoods Elementary School in Estero, finishes his homework with the help of New Horizons volunteer Sandy Hein.

Justin Bautista, a first-grader at Pinewoods Elementary School in Estero, finishes his homework with the help of New Horizons volunteer Sandy Hein.

An alarming number of Southwest Florida families are living at or below poverty level. Many are in mobile home parks near lush gated communities, whose residents likely are unaware of the everyday struggles faced by their impoverished neighbors.

“There may be several people sharing a two-bedroom trailer, and some children don’t even have their own beds,” said Debra Haley, executive director of New Horizons of SWFL, an organization that tutors and mentors at-risk students. “At night, they grab a blanket and pillow and find a place on the floor to sleep.”

About 50,000 children (25 percent) residing in Collier and Lee counties are living in poverty, according to the 2016 “Florida Kids Count” report published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Many of their parents are not fluent in English, and have trouble commu­nicating with the school system and social services. They are busy putting food on the table and meeting basic needs.

Nearly half of at-risk students drop out of high school before graduation, and dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, commit crimes, become teen mothers and create a burden for taxpayers. Without long-term intervention, the poverty cycle continues, impacting the social and economic fabric of the community.

“With no money in reserve for emergencies, life can get seriously disrupted if a parent loses a job, or the family loses its home,” Haley said.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, New Horizons became a lifeline for families, connecting them with churches, local agencies and volunteers who could help.

New Horizons of Southwest Florida was founded in 2002 by Naples residents Ellen and Bob Nichols. As a schoolteacher in both Collier and Lee Counties, Ellen Nichols noticed disadvantaged children falling behind their classmates in academic and social skills. “She and Bob wanted to provide help with homework and reading, and add some Christian education into the mix,” Haley said.

At its inception, New Horizons served 20 children. Now 15 years later, there are 500 students enrolled, with eight full-time and 60 part-time paid staff members and 560 active volunteers. Seven locations are hosted by churches in Lee and Collier counties.

In this non-denominational program, children and teens learn core values of honesty, integrity and personal responsibility. They also receive help in academics. They attend free after-school sessions for two hours, four days a week, often riding in buses from school to the program sites and back home.

First-grade student Justin Bautista attends Pinewoods Elementary School in Estero. While finishing his homework one day with tutor Sandy Hein, he said, “I’m doing much better with the alphabet now.”

Justin proudly showed off his new skill: distinguishing between the lower-case letters “b” and “d.” “When you write ‘b,’ the curved line goes one way, and for ‘d’ it goes the other way,” he explained.

Hein said tutors check students’ folders containing homework provided by their teachers. “We guide them through each section, then fill out a chart showing what they’ve done,” she said. “They sometimes get prizes for excellent work.”

Fifth-grader Alejandra Flores-Lopez said, “I’m going to middle school next year and I’m happy because reading keeps getting easier since I started coming here.”

Alejandra aspires to become a nurse or work in an agency that helps homeless families.

Measurable results have been shown for students in the program, ac­cording to Irma Benejan, a Pinewoods Elementary School teacher. “Please keep doing what you are doing with these children,” she wrote on the New Horizons website. “It works!”

There has been a 90 percent high school graduation rate for Super Teens in the New Horizons program, compared with 48 percent for their at-risk peer group, according to the Florida Department of Education.

College scholarships have been awarded to 31 teens thus far, and 82 percent of younger children are earning a C or better in language-arts.

Donations to help local families that are received by December 31 will be doubled, thanks to a $100,000 matching grant.

A luncheon fundraiser is set for March 10 at Naples Grande Beach Resort, where New Horizons will recognize its eight graduating seniors and provide entertainment by the Super Kids Choir.


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