Community of Organized Learners
Now Accepting Applications!
COOL! Youth Academy is now accepting applications. Afterschool, children participate in a structured enrichment environment that builds science, math and language arts skills, engage in social activities that develop leadership and team work capabilities, and become a part of civic projects that instill values of community service and activism. Our academy is free of cost to youth in grades K-8, but space is limited. Call during our normal business hours (9am to 6pm) for more information and an application.
Community of Organized Learners (COOL) Academy :
The Community of Organized Learners (COOL) is NATHA's Youth Academy, which takes place after-school. The COOL Academy utilizes evidence-based curriculum to engage youth in cooking courses, gardening classes, and health education. The Academy accepts youth grades K-6 from the greater Pasadena and Altadena communities.
The goal of the COOL Academy is to provide fun and engaging activities that increase youth’s desire for learning by providing a safe environment, project-based activities, and enrichment. The COOL Academy will empower youth and allow them to build knowledge and skills to increase their academic prowess, social and emotional development, health and nutrition awareness, and engagement in their community.
COOL Academy Participants receive:
- Homework assistance
- "Tail Waggin Tutors"
- Gardening
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Chess
- Mural Painting
- Health and Safety Awareness
- Physical Activity with "Get Fit" J. Mack
- Tennis instruction
- Mentoring
- Periodic Field Trips
OUR PARTNERS:
The Armory Center for the Arts-
An Armory artist and assistant come in once a week to facilitate theme based art projects that stimulate students thinking around shapes colors and 3D imaging . A 3D mural is currently being contsructed from recyclable materials that can be showcased in different parts of the NATHA facility.
Partnering with the Armory has been a huge success and has become a neccesity in our programing.
Tennis instruction program -
On Thursday afternoons you can catch our COOL kids recieving tennis instruction from the iTennis team at the John Muir H.S tennis courts. These sessions are ussually an hour long and are taught by two professional instructors. Lessons range from biginner to intermediate and are an important part of our physical activity component.
Scott Fox training: Therapy Dogs International -
The " Tail Waggin Tutors" one of our newest partners has brought a sense of self -confindence and enjoy ment to our students who have challenges reading or want to increase their skills. Each student has a specific dog whihc they can pick a book and read to for atleast fifteen minutes or more depending on the size of the group. Several students have shown marked changes in their approach to reading chapter books as well as an increase in class participation. This partnership has sparked a new interest in reading that also promotes bonding with dogs and some children read to their other animals at home.
Get Fit physical fitness-
iA key part of our programing and part of NATHA's mission is to sustain healthy communitiies and wee have contnued to do this by offering fitness activities and cardio workout for our youth three times a week with our trainer Johnny Mack at Get Fit training. Some of the activities in clude increase hand eye coordination, team building , and soccer and flag football instruction.
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Five Acres - A child abuse and neglect prevention, treatment and education center, helps special needs students with socialization and behavioral issues, working with both the children and their parents.
The COOL program provides in-service training for NATHA staff on working in and with groups. California State University, Los Angeles, and Pasadena City College provide work-study tutors, we are also supported by voluneers from CSULA's EPIC program and local youth and residents.
Although our COOL! program is for K-6 youth, NATHA truly believes in building community and is intentionally sensitive to the needs of the entire family. Additional age appropriate services are also offered for middle and high school aged youth. For more information about COOL! or the other programs that NATHA offers, please contact our office at (626) 794-5889.
COOL Program
HOURS OF OPERATION:
Mondays 12:45PM - 5:45PM
Tuesdays through Thursdays 2:15 PM to 5:45 PM Friday 2:15pm to 4:45pm
TRANSPORTATION: NATHA staff picks up students from Jackson Elementary School and walks them to our community center, located on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Montana Street.
FOOD: A healthy snack is provided daily.
You can also click here to download a copy of the application. ( Espanol)