CampUs program gives kids motivation to stay in school

Malissa Muhleck planned to go to college and become a veterinarian after high school. Now she feels more prepared and a little more excited to do so.

Malissa, a former Faiss Middle School student, is one of 50 incoming freshmen who attended CampUs Las Vegas, a six-day program meant to prepare kids for high school and beyond. Students also came from Bridger, Brown, Smith and Orr middle schools.

They stayed in dorms at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, ate in the cafeteria and learned from high school and college mentors.

"Having the experience to stay here, it makes me feel like a college student," said Malissa. "I thought it was going to be boring, but it changed my opinion."

After-School All-Stars Las Vegas and Clark County School District administrators picked 50 students for the program.

After-School All-Stars Las Vegas serves about 6,000 at-risk youths in 15 elementary and middle schools in the valley by providing out-of-school enrichment programs. After-School All-Stars has programs in 12 communities nationwide.

After-School All-Stars Associate Director Ranna Daud served as the camp's co-director with Program Director Erika Aguilar.

"We want them to start out doing well," Daud said. "What the kids experience their first year in high school often dictates how the rest of their high school experience is going to be. We want to make sure when they get in ninth grade, they're prepared and they feel good."

Aaron Dworkin, executive vice president of After-School All-Stars, shared Daud's assessment.

"The majority of kids who do drop out don't drop out in 11th and 12th grade," Dworkin said. "They drop out in ninth grade and 10th grade. That's why if you start a program like this in 10th grade, you've already lost a lot of kids. Getting them right before they start is important."

Nearly half of the students who entered ninth grade in Nevada in the 2004-05 school year did not graduate in four years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Nevada's 51 percent graduation rate was the worst in the country, more than 12 percent higher than second-place Louisiana.

Dworkin said 50 students in the program might not seem like much, but those 50 can affect others.

"Even though you think it's only 50 kids and it might not be that many," he said, "there's three siblings behind every one of these kids, and even older siblings."

The CampUs Las Vegas program was funded mostly by a $38,000 grant from the Nevada System of Higher Education.

It was the CampUs program's second year and first in Las Vegas. A group of 10 students from Brown Junior High School, 307 Cannes St. in Henderson, participated in last year's pilot program in Los Angeles.

All those students are still enrolled and doing well in school, Daud said.

After-School All-Stars Las Vegas would like to expand the program next summer to encompass more students, but that will depend on funding.

During the six days at UNLV, students filled out mock college applications, wrote personal essays, learned about graduation requirements and how to apply for financial aid. They also heard from guest speakers, including Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly and school district Superintendent Dwight Jones.

Just as in college, there was time for fun, too.

Students performed with an improv comedy group, swam at local pools, competed in a mock summer Olympic games, played at Gameworks, participated in a "No Talent, Talent Show " and exercised with UNLV student-athletes.

Tyrone Brown, 15, attended Smith Middle School, 1301 E. Tonopah Ave. in North Las Vegas, and is excited about attending high school, mostly for the chance to play sports, he said.

He came into the week not expecting much.

"I didn't think college was going to be this cool," said Tyrone. "It inspires these kids in here. This is the best opportunity I've ever had."

Tyrone said his parents insisted since a young age that he attend college. He isn't selling himself short, either.

"Maybe UNLV," he said. "Or Harvard."

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 224-5524.