LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) A north Lafayette church received funding from a local foundation to begin a new summer program that targets students in underserved communities. It plans to stop many children from falling behind.
The Destiny of Faith Church community created a new way to keep children engaged and up to speed on their academics.
“I would be sleeping, I would be watching Madea, I would be watching movies, that’s it,” said one student explaining what her summer would be like if she wasn’t attending the summer program.
About 40 elementary students from schools like Alice Boucher Elementary School were and selected to participate in this program that focuses on giving a little more attention to specific studies.
“We’re trying to activate the youth in this community in particular, the community that we’re called to serve, and a lot of the kids, unfortunately, don’t have access to the type of things that we provide,” said Justin Arceneaux, the camp director.
After doing research studies on student retention, summer influences, and more, Arceneaux incorporated the latest technology into the lesson plans. “We play to learn. So the exchange is you come to and you give your effort in your weaker subjects and you just get access to everything you provide,” said Arceneaux. “If you don’t have something to fill your time, you’re going to have to find something to fill your time, and if they don’t have access, to more positive things to fill your time you know what happens.”
Their mission inspired the Pugh Family Foundation to get involved and fund the entire program. The Pugh Family Foundation supports many educational programs that address the root causes of poverty in Acadiana.
“If they can just get engaged and grow, they have a chance to learn from everything around them,” said Todd Mouton. “This is a very immersive environment. There’s a lot of cool stuff here, so they’re kind of getting enrichment but it’s academic focused too,” he added.
This is a six-week summer camp. It’s a pilot program for an after-school program the church is preparing to launch.
For more details visit, http://www.destinyoffaith.church/
