The University of Tulsa’s True Blue Neighbors Youth Scholars Program is back at Kendall-Whittier Elementary thanks to a $1.38 million grant administered by 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC). The five-year grant, funded through the U.S. Department of Education, was the only one of its kind to be given to an Oklahoma university.
The 21CCLC initiative is designed to support local after-school, before-school, and summer learning programs by providing funding for academic enrichment activities, extracurricular programs and literacy and educational development services. The program has been in operation for more than 20 years and serves over 1.5 million youths and their families.
The grant for UTulsa’s after-school Youth Scholars Program was received one year ago and pays for Kendall-Whittier Elementary teachers and support staff to stay after school. It also enables university students to work as volunteers, assisting up to 250 children with homework and leading enrichment activities such as music, theater, leadership development, gardening, and crafts. The school is located just a block west of campus and has had a close connection with the university since 2006.
“This program not only addresses a vital need for young students and families in the neighborhood, but it also provides a valuable and fulfilling experience for our university students as they actively engage in service to the public good,” said Melissa Abdo, director of civic engagement.
The Youth Scholars Program, previously known as the Youth Mentoring Program, is an endeavor of True Blue Neighbors, which is housed within UTulsa’s Office of Civic Engagement and builds partnerships between the university and the community. The program lapsed after 2019 because of the pandemic and was ready for a jump start.
“It is important that our Kendall-Whittier Elementary students have a safe and caring environment to discover new skills through the different program offerings we provide,” said Diana Rodriguez Vazquez (B.S. ’20), director of the Youth Scholars Program.
Rodriguez Vazquez was a Kendall-Whittier Elementary student herself. “My family had recently immigrated from Mexico and our home school was Kendall-Whittier,” she said. “I grew up knowing about The University of Tulsa as it was within close proximity to our school, but it didn’t seem as attainable until I reached my senior year of high school and was offered a generous scholarship through the Mervin Bovaird Foundation.”
The summer between her first and second years at UTulsa, Rodriguez Vazquez became involved with a local nonprofit organization, where she helped with park programming events in the K-W neighborhood. After receiving her psychology degree, she began working at Kendall-Whittier Elementary to support students and their family by connecting them with resources depending on their needs. When she heard that UTulsa had received the 21CCLC grant for the Youth Scholars Program, she knew she had to be a part of it.
“When I attended Kendall-Whittier, I would hear from peers participating in the Youth Mentoring Program (the previous name of the Youth Scholars Program). I always heard very good things about the program, specifically how helpful it was to the students,” she said. “Being able to be a part of it this time around, I felt extremely honored and have been able to witness students improve in their academics as well as in their social-emotional skills while also supporting their families through the impact of this program.”
Rodriguez Vazquez and her team have high hopes for the ongoing success of the program, including expanding relationships between the university and the community.
“We are currently working on creating more partnerships with community resources that we can connect our students and their families to so that they can have all the information possible to support them through their growth in life,” she added. “We want to ensure our students and families have access to as many opportunities possible through Kendall-Whittier and The University of Tulsa.”