Eight-year-old dragonfly fan Eliza Melton decorates a flower pot during a ‘Helping Out Pollinators’ program in Wilkes University’s Sordoni Arts Gallery on Tuesday morning. Eliza was one of about 80 children who took part in a one-day camp for youngsters enrolled in the SHINE afterschool program.
Mark Guydish | For Times Leader
SHINE program completes season with 1-day camp at Wilkes
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Nayeli LaRocque and Lionel Pierre Louis Jr., both 9-year-old students from the Hanover Area School District, decorate flower pots during their College Student for the Day experience at Wilkes University on Tuesday. The day-long event was designed to expose children from the SHINE afterschool program to several career paths.
Mark Guydish | For Times Leader
An adult staffer shares a smile with 9-year-old Taryn Sock, who said she would like to be a veterinarian when she grows up.
Mark Guydish | For Times Leader
Sabrina Rosado decorates her flower pot with heart shapes as a College Student for the Day program gets underway at Wilkes University on Tuesday morning. The event was attended by 80 elementary-age students who take part in the SHINE of Luzerne County afterschool program during the school year.
Mark Guydish | For Times Leader
Mark Guydish | For Times Leader
After Melissa Carestia welcomed dozens of elementary school students from the afterschool SHINE program to Wilkes University’s Sordoni Art Gallery Tuesday morning, she invited them to decorate small flower pots that they could take home, fill with dirt and use to plant seeds that would eventually blossom into pollinator-friendly plants.
Could anyone name a pollinator? Carestia asked the crowd as they settled in at tables filled with coloring equipment.
“A butterfly!” said 9-year-old McKinley Gleco.
“A dragonfly!” 8-year-old Eliza Melton said.
“A caterpillar!” 9-year-old Alexander Hamburger contributed.
All of those answers were correct, said Carestia, assistant director at the gallery, who had distributed packets of a seed mix that included the native-to-Pennsylvania plants butterfly weed, New England aster, cornflower, Siberian wallflower, coreopsis, cosmos, wild blue flax, perennial lupine, common evening primrose, red poppy and black-eyed susan.
“We want them to learn about Pennsylvania, for a touch of home,” SHINE executive director Carol Nicholas said as she watched the action.
SHINE of Luzerne County, based at Wilkes University, is a STEAM-based afterschool program that serves at-risk students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grades in the Wyoming Valley West, Hanover, Hazleton, Greater Nanticoke, Pittston and Wilkes-Barre area school districts, offering homework help, a meal and project-based activities for three hours a day, Mondays through Thursdays during the school year.
The 2024-25 program culminated with a “College Student for the Day” camp on Tuesday, which offered students the chance to tour Wilkes’ campus and visit various classrooms where they attended such sessions as “Be A TV Anchor,” “E Sports — Skills to be Pro Gamer,” “Twist, Turn and Track the Wind,” ” Operation WatchTower — Crack the Code, Control the Camera,” “Fun With Origami” and more.
The day was designed to offer information about career pathways, Nicholas said, agreeing with a bystander that some of the children, soon to be planting flowers, might be inspired to pursue a career in horticulture or botany or some other kind of science.
As for the youngsters themselves, they had all kinds of ideas about their future. What did they want to be?
“A veterinarian,” said 9-year-old animal lover Taryn Sock.
“An astronaut,” said Alejandro “A.J.” Wickham.
“A dancer, a choreographer, a singer and a songwriter,” said Sabrina Rosado, admitting that would keep her busy. But, she pointed out, “I’m already busy.”