West
Town Academy
The
cornerstone of GWTP's youth programming is the West Town Academy
(WTA). WTA is an alternative high school for students between
the ages of 17 and 21 who are not enrolled in a traditional
high school or GED program, and wish to return to school and
obtain their high school diploma.
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our Agency
Fact Sheet
"More
Than A Drop Out": West Town Academy film won First
Prize for a First Voice Documentary at the ASM Film Festival
May
2009
This
year, in a partnership through After School Matters, Hard Cover,
and Community TV Network, five West Town Academy students had
the opportunity to create two films. The first one was to be
a documentary on a relevant social issue of the students’ choosing,
and the second one would be a narrative, or story, film. The
documentary that the students made is entitled “More
Than a Dropout,” and is a series of interviews with students
who have dropped out of school, as well as various adults from
around the community. It deals with public perceptions of students
who leave school and the actual reasons for both dropping out
and dropping back in. With the guidance of ASM staff member
and filmmaker Erika Valenciana, and West Town teacher Stephanie
Douglass, the students were able to work through the entire
filmmaking process, and learn both the technical and artistic
sides of producing a movie. West Town’s film even won
First Prize for a First Voice Documentary at the ASM Film Festival
in May, and the students were interviewed about their film
and their experience in the program. Congratulations to the
five West Town Students who shot, produced, edited, and spoke
in this film: Daniel Chia, Krstopher Cozzi, Julian Espindola,
Carrie Gall, and Kimberly Moreira.
West
Town Academy’s African American Festival
"The Dreams
of Our Fathers"
February
27, 2009
The recent
inauguration of the nation’s first
African American President heightened the excitement for
the annual African American Festival at West Town Academy.
With extensive student participation West Town Academy
celebrated the festival on Friday, February 27th, 2009.
The festival’s central theme was “Dreams
of our Fathers,” which was inspired by the title of
Barack Obama’s popular book, Dreams from My Father.
WTA students shared their own personal testimony about
what it means for them to have an African American President.
Students created skits and dances to commemorate the creativity
and cultural diversity of the African continent. Students
also prepared classrooms with hands-on activities involving
African dance, jewelry making, and writing. The hard work
and applied learning that students invested into the festival
paid off in an entertaining and exciting day.
W.T.A
Students Travel to D.C. to Attend Barack Obama's Inauguration
January 22, 2009
Sixteen West Town Academy (W.T.A)
students and four staff traveled by bus for 20 hours
for the opportunity to witness Barack Obama's Inauguration
in Washington, D.C. The students were selected based
on their behavior, academic record, and quality of an
essay that all interested students were asked to submit.
From January 18th through January 22nd the WTA students
toured the nation's capitol, including the U.S. Congress
Building, Supreme Court, the Washington Monument, and
the Lincoln Memorial. Students and staff stood between
the Washington Monument and the White House to watch
the historic inauguration. Afterwards, staff facilitated
discussions on what it meant for the students. Several
students wrote poems and essays reflecting on what they
learned during their trip to bring back and share with
the rest of their classmates. Lodging for the staff and
students were generously provided by a strong supporter
and advocate for WTA, Mary Filardo, who serves as the
Executive Director of 21st Century School Fund. The 21st
Century School Fund is a highly respected organization
headquartered in D.C. that advocates for the improvement
of public school facilities across the nation. Read more
about 21st Century School Fund at: www.21csf.org
