The country has been taken by election fever. News of upcoming races can be seen on television, over the Internet and now in the USD 257 elementary schools.
Monday, SAFE BASE will kick off its 13th year serving students.
SAFE BASE is a free after-school program offered to any kindergarten through fifth-grade student living in the USD 257 district, including students who are home-schooled or attending private schools.
The program meets Mondays through Thursdays and is divided into four sessions. Being that it is election year, the first session will be focusing on politics.
“We will teach the students how to properly register to vote,” SAFE BASE director, Angela Eyster said. “Our first session ends Nov. 8, which is longer than usual, but we wanted to capture the Nov. 6 elections.”
Some of the classes being offered are “Presidential Foods” where students will get the opportunity to try favorite foods of past presidents, and even the foods they didn’t like.
In other classes students will learn how to be “White House Chefs” or what it takes to be a good leader.
“Blue Plate Special” is a cooking class on Wednesdays where students will learn to prepare meals for their families, focusing on a particular fruit or vegetable of the month.
On Nov. 5, they will be having their fist “Blue Plate Dinner” where students will prepare a family and community dinner.
“It is the night before the election, so we will have a a two-man group performing a skit called ‘The Presidents,’” Eyster said. “They will be doing 45 presidents in 45 minutes.”
Gardening will be a big focus for SAFE BASE students this year.
Thrive Allen County gave a grant to the program to build a high tunnel greenhouse that will go from east to west starting on the east side of their garden on Lincoln Street, Eyster said.
“This way we can garden all year round,” Eyster said. “The goal is to supplement the cooking classes and the after-school snacks with what is grown.”
The greenhouse is expected to go up in November, according to Eyster.
Presidential inspiration will even be spread to the trees. Espalier trees will be added to the garden this year, which can be seen at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Virginia.
