Enrichment Program at CSUN Is Thriving

A summer enrichment program for San Fernando Valley youngsters begun at Cal State Northridge in the wake of Proposition 13 continues to thrive beyond the void it was created to fill.

Although many regular summer school programs have been restored since passage of the 1978 tax-cutting measure, nearly 1,300 students are expected to participate in a variety of classes, which begin July 1 and run through Aug. 2.

Sponsored by the CSUN School of Education, an enrichment program for sixth- through 12th-graders is beginning its 18th summer, and an academic program for elementary school students will mark its 14th season.

“Creepy Crawlers, Critters and Creatures,” zoology for first- and second-graders, is among the new elementary-level classes, said assistant director Madeline Jason. Other classes will include puppetry, a readers’ theater, photography and Spanish, in addition to the basics--sessions in reading, creative writing and math.

Not surprisingly, computer-oriented classes such as “Computers and Geometry” and “Computers--Multimedia” are expected to be big draws among the 38 classes in the enrichment program for secondary students, said Glenn Bailey, administrative coordinator.

The instructors are all certificated teachers, mostly from public and private schools in the Valley. The teaching assistants are students or recent graduates from the CSUN School of Education.

Bailey explained that the summer program has enough longevity to have produced its own graduates.

“We have had kids who started with us in elementary school and then went all the way through 12th grade,” Bailey said.

The registration deadline for the programs is Friday. Bailey said classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost for the sessions is about $400.

Each class meets Monday through Friday mornings, with varying start times.

A brochure with registration and class details can be obtained by calling (818) 885-3333.