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PITTSTON — State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, asked what he probably thought was a softball question. “Does anyone know what city is the state capital?”
But the youngsters in the SHINE after school program at Pittston Intermediate Center clearly had not reached the grades where civics and geography are stressed.
“Pittston!” one boy blurted.
“Well, some people certainly think that,” Yudichak said with a laugh.
The SHINE program is new to the Intermediate Center, where it serves students in first through fourth grades, providing a variety of hands-on lessons designed to expose disadvantaged students to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics lessons. Begun in Luzerne County in 2015, SHINE is now in nine county public schools, funded through public and private sources.
Yudichak was there to see the fruits of a project spearheaded by his office. When SHINE Directors Carol Nicholas mentioned the need for supplies, Cassidy Eckrote of Yudichak’s office helped implement a donation program, placing boxes in 10 locations for anyone to drop in school supplies or other learning tools.
Nicholas said the drive collected more than $3,000 in a wide range of supplies, including thousands of pencils and notepads, construction paper and a few backpacks.
At the Intermediate Center, the boxes had various construction toys including LEGO kits, Lincoln Logs and Tinkertoys. There were also higher-tech toys including Snap Circuits, designed to teach children the basics of electric circuits.
Nicholas got the students to thank Yudichak and Eckrote. Then the senator asked if they were happy to be back in school.
“YEAH!” most of them replied eagerly, many still holding one of the new supplies.
“NOOOO!” one boy countered.
Well, some things never change, regardless of how new the supplies are.
