After-school mentoring program helps children stay busy and out of trouble
When the final bell rings at Blackshear Elementary, learning doesn’t stop. The lights stay on—and so does hope. Inside the after-school rooms, the U.S. Dream Academy pairs students with mentors, keeps them safe, and builds skills that carry home.
When the final bell rings at Blackshear Elementary, learning doesn’t stop. The lights stay on—and so does hope.
Inside the after-school rooms, the U.S. Dream Academy pairs students with mentors, keeps them safe, and builds skills that carry home.
“This isn’t just afterschool—it’s after the odds,” reporter Zach Lashway observed during a visit to the program. The scene is simple: pencils moving, small groups focused, adults kneeling beside kids who need targeted help and a steady voice.
“For me, it’s a place where my kids can go, be in activities, stay busy,” said parent Lucretia Robertson. “I feel very safe when they’re here—whether I’m at work or in school.” Asked what she would do without the program, she didn’t hesitate: “I don’t know what I would do. It helps me so much.”
Blackshear Principal Jesseye Brown says the growth is obvious. “It gives our kids space to learn social-emotional skills in an educational setting but through experiences,” Brown said. “We serve a population with trauma. What’s at stake if these programs disappear? The emotional capacity of our kids.”
Third-graders Lorielle and Leanna Robertson put it plainly. “My favorite part is joining activities,” Lorielle said. Leanna added, “Today I will express care.” The lesson ends with a ritual: “I’ll be the best of me that I can be—all day, every day. I love me,” the twins recite, then hug themselves.
Program director Gloria Crandall defines success as giving families practical tools. “I find success by giving them what they need to succeed—not just students, but parents as well.”
As the sun sets over Third Ward, the classrooms stay lit. For these students, that light means safety, attention, and a path to confidence.
More about the program can be found here.
Of the more than 230 students at Blackshear, more than 40 are enrolled in after-school programs.
