The 2009 Eastside Children’s Summer Program (ECSP) provides a FREE three-and-a-half-hour program (12:00-3:30 p.m.), including lunch, Monday through Thursday, July 15 through August 20 for neighborhood children, teens, and their friends. Arlington Hills Presbyterian Church (AHP) is the 2009 host site for the program. Please call ECSP staff for registration and information at 763-218-2904.

The ECSP is a stop (Arlington Hills Presbyterian Church) on the East Side Circulator bus route link.

Recognizing the diversity of our neighborhood, the ECSP is not a religious-based program, but offers fun, enrichment activities in science, art, English language skills and reading, and self-esteem building. Experts in these fields are invited throughout the five-week program to also help weave the tapestry of culture and community.

Our vision for the ECSP is to be a catalyst for building a sense of neighborhood among our Hmong, Hispanic, African American, Asian, African, and Scandinavian neighbors here on the eastside of St. Paul. We hope to bring about a better understanding of each other as individuals, and an enhanced appreciation for wide-ranging traditions and cultures.

Our goal is also to strengthen the educational opportunities for the children in our area and enhance their appreciation for the arts and sciences. We recognize public schools need support and the ECSP offers a continuum of basic studies enhanced by dynamic and age-appropriate activities. For example, a portion of the 2009 program will focus on environmentalism. Invited guest speakers (a comprehensive list is still being developed) may include a speaker on basic recycling (glass, newspapers, cardboard, etc.); a Native American elder might tell stories about reverence for the earth; and a biologist might demonstrate the need to take care of water and help us plan and plant a rain garden. Local musicians will share their musical ability and love for music, and local artists will teach art techniques (AHP still displays ECSP art from previous years). “Reading Buddies" volunteers (daily) will offer an intergenerational setting for children, teens, and adults to read aloud, encouraging growth and confidence with the English language.

A public Art Show and Reception will be held at the end of the program to highlight the art achievements and artwork of the children and teens who attend the program. Watch for up-to-date information regarding the Art Show / Reception and other family activities sponsored by the ECSP.

The ECSP advisory board consists of business leaders within the community, leaders in the non-profit community, neighborhood advocates, collaborative partners, and three members from the church providing the program site and space. The Advisory Board helps work through issues relating to family and school coordination, sharing their insights and best practices. ECSP Teachers are licensed in Minnesota or Wisconsin and attend professional development opportunities for the purpose of enhancing the ECSP to assure a quality, best-practice learning environment for the children.

The 2009 summer program will be enhanced by a partnership with the Duluth & Case Recreation Center in St. Paul to augment the ECSP focus on health, exercise and play.

Through a gift from the McKnight Foundation link, private donors and the resources of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities link. , the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and Arlington Hills Presbyterian Church link, the hope of the ECSP is to make a significant and measurable difference in the lives of these young people and their families.