MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Dozens of Memphis elementary school students are spending their spring break with about 45 college students from Washington, D.C.
Students from Howard University are making sure kids in Memphis who are out of school for spring break have positive role models.
“This is important because it helps with making sure our kids are able to blossom the best they can academically,” Howard University student Taylor Dalencourt said.
This is part of Howard University’s annual Alternative Spring Break program. They visit cities across the country helping kids in subjects like math and reading. This week, they’re working with kids at Cornerstone Prep in Binghampton
“So that way when they come back into the classroom, after alternative spring break they have retained the information that they’ve been leaning because time missed out of school really impacts where kids are as far as the level they need to be when it comes to literacy and math,” Dalencourt said.
“It helps me to do multiplication, division and usually I don’t know all that stuff and they teach me how to do it,” Iandia McKee, who’s attending the camp, said.
Kids also get to dance and play sports while building relationships with their mentors, something Iandia looks forward to.
“We get to play soccer, jump rope, basketball and hula hoop,” she said.
Students say seeing college students take time out of their schedule to come there makes a difference in their lives. It’s teaching young kids about leadership.
Howard students are working with students at Northside High School, too. They also do this in other cities like St. Louis, Detroit, and New Orleans.
