In the gym at Douglas Park Community School, Syrian refugee students are playing a vigorous game of four square soccer.
They are participating in the game under the leadership of Karen refugee students, who now attend H.D. Stafford Middle School and are giving back by volunteering at their former school.
Outside on the field, a full-sized game of soccer is being played with the help of Karen boys who attend Stafford and volunteer at Douglas Park with the school’s Explorations Program.
Every Wednesday afternoon, Douglas Park school lets out early.
A few years ago, the school began offering the Explorations Program on those Wednesdays. People from the community volunteer two hours of their time to share a skill with the students at the school who want to stay and learn through the six-week sessions.
“It’s the children’s choice to be here. They could go home or to the Boys and Girls Club if they wanted to, yet all our Explorations sessions are full,” said Brad Hendy, a teacher and community school co-ordinator for Stafford and Douglas Park.
“We might even run one through our summer session, because they are just that popular.”
Hendy has also run a few sessions himself, leading a Lego club and a basketball session.
“The kids really enjoy it. They aren’t bored and we are finding that these sessions really help with behaviour,” said Hendy.
Inside one classroom, students are intently building wooden catapults with help from volunteers from the Boys and Girls Club.
While building the functional structures they are also learning about kinetic energy.
They have done five projects so far and while they are building they are learning about science.
In the hallways, students from the English Language (ELL) program are filming staff and volunteers for a project in another Explorations program.
The ELL students are making a video called, “Sharing Our Languages.”
Each student is teaching others how to say four phrases, like “hello” and “good morning” in their languages, which include Arabic, Karen, Spanish and Korean.
Douglas Park settlement worker Sharon Kavanagh has been volunteering with the group, showing them how to make a story board and edit their work to put the whole video together.
Music pours out of another classroom, as a teacher volunteers to run a dance class. Another classroom is full of kids making crafts. A retired teacher leads the group, bringing all her crafting supplies of glitter, glue and felts to the sessions.
A senior living nearby has been teaching the kids woodworking skills.
That is one of the most popular sessions, said Hendy.
The program is always looking for more community volunteers who may want to share a talent or skill, whether it be gardening or dance, carpentry or even Lego building, said Hendy.
If you want to learn more contact Hendy at 604-376-0697 or call Douglas Park school.
