Hope Center for the Arts staff reflect on summer successes, look forward to fall programs

SPRINGFIELD — Amid a crowd at the Hope Center for the Arts on Wednesday, founder Robert Bolduc asked, "Do you want to hear a sad story?"

He gestured to a wall of a student artwork and, across the room, a wall of student photographs. The walls between them, however, were empty but a few weeks ago "all of these walls were covered," he said.

At the conclusion of the center's summer program, which saw more than 150 children in the former CityStage space, most of the participants took their work home with them.

The work that remained hanging on Tuesday was largely created by youth under the care of the Department of Children and Families — youth without a permanent home, Bolduc said.

It wasn't all sad, however. On a stage in the center's theater, Bolduc; Isaac LittleJohn Eddy, the center's artistic and education director; Kyle Homstead, technical director; and Lorenzo Gaines, who operates the center's college-bound program, reflected on the successes they've seen in the program so far.

"Every day I came down at different times to check in, and every day I walked away crying in happiness because of how much these kids grew," Bolduc said.

The summer program allowed youth to explore the technical, visual and multimedia arts — and it also helped them strengthen skills they'd need to succeed in the school year, like reading.

Children should read at or above grade level by the end of third grade, according to the Children's Reading Foundation , "but what about the kids who didn't get to read above their grade, who are now in middle and high school, who are struggling and probably on the road to serious problems because they can't read?" Bolduc said.

The center hired national reading consultants to lead a summer program that taught participants how to read.

"In one summer, we brought students up two grade levels in reading with intensive work, and we want to keep expanding that," Bolduc said.

Hope Center for the Arts staff are gearing up for fall programming, which will begin later this month. It will be an afterschool program, with youth in the center from 3 to about 5 p.m. Classes include dance fusion, theater/drama, hip-hop, percussion, vocal ensemble, band lab, strings, video and filmmaking, live event production, BEATS, visual arts, photography and creative writing.

The fall program also will be longer than the summer one, running from September through December, ending before the schools' holiday break.

Crismar Polanco, 16, works, under the guidance of Lorenzo Gaines, on one of the computers in film class at the Hope Center for the Arts in Springfield on July 31. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook

"Oftentimes, educators create barriers, saying, 'You aren't ready for the stage. You aren't ready to be using the real materials. You aren't ready to hold the camera,'" Eddy said. "What we say here is, 'You are ready, no matter where you're coming from.'"

Enrollment is free to Springfield families and is being accepted on a rolling basis until the program is full. Registration can be done online , and registration forms are also being distributed to all students in Springfield schools.

Volunteers, instructors and business sponsors are all needed to help make the forthcoming program a success. More information about those opportunities can be had by contacting Eddy at isaac@hyff.org.

In a video that was broadcast on a projection screen onstage, summer participants shared their own thoughts on the program.

"The Hope Center for the Arts is creative, welcoming and fun," one student said.

Another said: "The community here, the people here, they're really nice, and I'm never going to forget my experiences here."

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