A.J. Attan sat at a picnic table under the shade of a tree Tuesday at Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale.
He quietly strummed his ukulele.
Suddenly, a scream broke the peace. Bercyann Matthew and her friends Rubyann Mejbon, Hershey Abon and Jasmine Ricklon creeped themselves out nearby using their cell phones to make a scary movie in the museum's barn.
These students are taking part in a summer enrichment program for Marshallese students at Springdale High School. The Marshallese Leadership Academy, which concludes today, brought together some 30 students two weeks after school dismissed in June and this week before school starts again for the fall.
The program was paid for by a grant from 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
"The purpose is to build leadership skills within the Marshallese community," said Jean Davis, an instructional facilitator at the high school, who was joined by fellow facilitators Layne Bass, Melissa Smith and Fran Flynt (now retired) to run the program.
Every Marshallese student at the school received an application for the program, and organizers expressed delight to see participation of some students who need extra academic support because of language or cultural barriers.
"We need to assist them in stepping up, so they can be available for the younger students," Davis continued. "We talk about making good choices and taking part in community activities at the school. We want them to feel more confident."
"We learned we need to step up to be good leaders," Hanline Lewis said of the program. "We need to get out of our comfort zone and do things we don't normally do."
Smith guided students through the book "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens" by Sean Covey (Running Press, 2003). Lessons included leadership skills, making good decisions and paradigm shifts.
"The classroom lessons opened up a whole new way of communicating for them, a new way of thinking so they can change their life," Smith said. They learned about positive thinking, goal setting, personal mission statements. Teachers hear them using the vocabulary from the lessons: integrity, responsibility, independence, balance.
Wednesday, students presented proposals to help solve problems at school: tardiness, poor attendance and class participation. "Instead of making class boring, the teachers should bring new ideas," said Bing Domnick for her first proposal. Then she added tangibles like classroom norms (or rules) and the notion that no suggestion offered by students is a bad idea.
"We're learning how we can help the Marshallese community," Domnick said.
"We talked about bad habits and good habits," explained student Alex Pound. "Missing school is a bad habit, and having good hygiene is a good habit."
"Their culture is so different than ours," Davis said. "Their social activities are through their churches or basketball. They have a hard time getting out of their culture."
So the SHS faculty also arranged field trips to expand the world for the students: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Fayetteville Farmers Market, the University of Arkansas, NorthWest Arkansas Community College and Tuesday's walk through downtown Springdale.
"We're introducing them to Springdale," Davis said. "We talked about the grant, and how many people it took to make this program happen. The students wanted to say thank you."
The students started with their own school's administration, which lets them use the building for the program. Then they met Sharon Green and Rita Curtis, who work in the district's business office, keeping track of the grant money.
At each stop, Attan played the ukulele and Matthew led the students in a Marshallese "thank you" song. They presented those who helped them -- including the waitress at the restaurant -- with shell necklaces, headpieces and more made by the people of the Marshall Islands.
The students visited the Springdale Public Schools administration building, the museum, city hall and the office of Carmen Chong Gum, consul general for the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Chong Gum also introduced the students to her nation, as some students were born in the United States and others left the islands when they were very young.
Teachers said they were proud of their students, who in class might seem shy and indifferent or giggle and play like teens. But students spoke articulately, professionally and from their hearts when they thanked the people they met.
"Thank God for letting you deal with us," Attan told Allyn Lord, director of the museum, and volunteers working Tuesday. "You are awesome."
Commentary on 08/07/2014