Grand Rapids Youth Fair Demonstrates the Value of After School Programming

Hello! I’m Megan Hunter and I serve with Camp Fire USA AmeriCorps.

Last Saturday, May 21 2011, Creston High School hosted the Grand Rapids Youth Fair, an annual event that showcases work done by students throughout Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) after school programs. This year there were 34 elementary, middle and high schools included, and it proved to be a great opportunity for anyone curious about what is going on with the city’s youth. Most everyone knows about the programs offered by GRPS, but few are able to see what goes on inside.

As one of the high school students who spoke in the opening ceremony said, “When I first joined LOFT (city sponsored high school after school programming), I wanted a place to chill out and do my homework. It was only later that I found out that there was much more to it.” The events of the Youth Fair really showed what he meant.

The artwork, projects and presentations done by the kids reflected the innovation and versatility that defines Grand Rapids after school programs. Walking through the display area, one could find all kinds of artwork from paintings to 3-D sculptures. At Covell High School’s award winning booth, a 2 ½ foot dolphin made from over 3,000 recycled milk caps was the centerpiece, representing their theme of protecting ocean animals. Other displays ranged from posters about different countries and cultures to water color paintings and plaster handprints.

In addition to display booths for each school however, the Youth Fair was an opportunity for students to perform on stage. The school’s auditorium attracted a wide audience where 12 different groups performed dance routines as well as poetry and raps. Students from Kent Hills recited a poem about environmental issues, while Brookside students performed an original rap about segregation in Grand Rapids. These unique performances accompanied some Hispanic cultural dances as well as several hip-hop routines.

Clearly students are doing more than homework and busywork when they go to their after school programs. Their work could compete with that done in any art or dance class, and their original poems and lyrics revealed some powerful ideas and lessons learned in the process. Youth fair was a great success and a day that proved to be “all about the kids”.