Yesterday was the first day of a summer learning program which has the Agency for Better Living Endeavors (ABLE) teaming up with the Feleti Barstow Public Library and the Department of Education.
Seventy children are enrolled in the 4-week Discovering Amerika Samoa Program which will have the participants exploring the territory’s geography and learning about government, culture, history and more.
In addition to hands-on projects and an incredible guest lecture line up, the program also includes 10 field trips. From the eastern marvel of the Tula Observatory to where the road ends in magnificent Maloata, where they will be hosted by the Gurr family, program participants have a lot of land to cover.
The program began yesterday with a parent orientation that focused on having the children break the ice as fellow adventurers and academic peers. In addition to setting the mood for a fun and safe atmosphere, students were also given a diagnostic exam to create a baseline understanding of how much the children are taught and to track the program’s success.
ABLE President, Elinor Lutu-McMoore remarked, “Understanding where you’re from is such an important part of identity. Our children learn about other places and other people all the time in school and we think it’s important to give them an educational experience that is more relevant to them and their life experiences. Through this program, we not only want our kids to have fun but to also take away a deeper love for their home that is rooted in an appreciation for all of its constituent parts.”
ABLE is a 501(C)3 non- profit organization founded by HC Afoa L. Su’esu’e Lutu in 2004 to provide and coordinate services aimed at improving the lives of residents.
