Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by R.W. Bradford

Fisher Middle School student Jenny Green (left) joins Lindsay Sherman of Rolling Hills Middle School in creating a skit for their College for Kids acting class.

Local kids go to college

By Kristin Kusumoto

It's the first day of school for students in the College for Kids program at West Valley College, who are ambling back from lunch to their classrooms in small groups or solo, some consulting the campus maps in their hands.

They've got the whole summer ahead of them, and that's why they're here.

According to seventh-grader Lindsay Sherman, "staying home is boring. I fight with my sister." Sherman said she looked over the program at her mother's suggestion, and a drama class lured her in.

College for Kids attracted 250 students from 70 schools for its second session, according to director Caroline Best. The program costs $285 for a three-week session, and students are required to enroll in three classes from among the 20 offered. The requirements for admission are that the student be between the sixth and ninth grade and have no behavior problems, Best explained. The program is administered through the community education division of West Valley College in Saratoga.

The purpose of College for Kids, according to Best, is to show students that a college education is desirable. "The younger they start thinking about higher education, the better prepared they'll be to achieve success in higher education," she said.

The program's curriculum is not literally like college, as there are no grades, midterms, and hardly any homework. According to Best, the teachers-- eight out of the 13 teach regularly at middle schools--are required to conduct "an activity-based class that is challenging, yet fun." The goal is to get students actively involved and not just doing paperwork, Best said.

Classes cover a range of subjects including math, literature, science, physical education and electives. Among those that fill quickly are TV/video, "Games for the Mind" and photography, while literature classes tend to be the least popular, Best said.

Sometimes parents will pick out all three classes for their children, while other times the student gets to decide; it all depends, Best said. "Parents want their kids to be happy, whether it's sports or academics," she added.

According to Linda Stockton, who teaches two classes in the program, College for Kids allows students to take classes for fun.

"Because they're college prep [students], a lot of them don't get to take electives," she said.

The students spoke positively about their classes.

"I get to do things I've never tried in school," sixth-grader Ann Lucena said during a break from her karate class. She also said she enjoys her acting class because "you do a lot of stuff--you get to make plays and be creative."

"It's not so much stress as regular school. We do everything, but we don't have to worry so much," seventh-grader Angela Pai said.

"We don't have to worry about our grades," sixth-grader Saima Hasan added.

[ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ]