Our Semillitas program for children ages 5 to 13 consists of four 2-hour sessions per week, each focused on a different area of development: physical health, artistic and cultural expression, and community-building and empathy. Two of the sessions are continuations/expansions of existing Nuestra Gente programs, both of which have alternative funding. The third session is a new program focusing on play and community using games, puzzles, and group activities focused on building positive social interactions. As always, all of our programs are offered in both Spanish and English and are open to all, although we focus particularly on Hispanic culture and themes. Session sizes are limited to 40 participants. We are proposing programming to run from Sept. 4, 2023, to April 26, 2024.

a. Nuestra Gente Soccer Program — This is a bilingual after-school program focusing on healthy play, exercise, and building soccer skills for kids and pre-teens. The program, now in its second year, has received funding from the City of Toledo to continue providing instruction and transportation to and from the program venue at Skyway Recreation Center in Oregon, OH. The coach, who is also bilingual, will provide the transportation as needed. The program will be held 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays.

b. The Art Room — This is another program that has been conducted in previous years and is returning with financial support from the Ohio Arts Council. Sessions will be 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays at the South Branch Library and consist of hands-on instruction and cultural education by a local artist. Sessions include artistic techniques, exploration of different media, and instruction about cultural history and symbolism, and, at the end, the kids have a colorful piece of artwork to take home.

c. Play Day — As part of the Semillitas initiative, we plan to add an extra day of after-school programming with two-hour sessions 4 to 6 p.m. each Thursday at the South Branch Library using a variety of educational and therapeutic board and tabletop games. The idea is to give kids a healthy, safe place to be after the school day ends with activities focused on community and friendship, positive thinking and behavior, and strong self-esteem. Games will be available for a variety of ages and will help teach lessons as simple as teamwork and sharing to learning strategies to cope with sadness, anxiety, and emotional trauma.

d. Math/academic tutoring – We are planning to offer simple bilingual academic instruction for two hours weekly at the South Branch Library. The weekly session will run during the school  year and offers bilingual academic support for kids whose parents may be single or both working after school hours. Basically, kids can have access to a professional math tutor who can offer instruction and homework help in both English and Spanish in a safe, supervised public setting.

e. Field trips – As part of Semillitas, we hope to organize four bilingual cultural enrichment trips to areas of historical or cultural interest in the Toledo area. These short day-trips would require parental permission and participation and will be offered as an extension of the other after-school programs. Planned destinations include the Toledo Zoo, Toledo Museum of Art, Ottawa Park, and Camp Miakonda.