Program Spotlight: Robert Louis Stevenson Afterschool Learning Program

This holiday season, we give thanks for our dedicated, talented, and caring program staff! These amazing people make our programs great and our community strong. Vivian Ton is a Lead Teacher in SNBC’s Afterschool Learning Program at Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary (RLS). Vivian works with 4^th graders at RLS in the afterschool hours, every day of the school year. We got a chance to catch up with Vivian this week as part of RLS Program Spotlight.

SNBC: Please tell us a little about yourself.

VT: This is my third year working with RLS and the SNBC community. Prior to this, I have volunteered at difference programs around the city. I have been a student at SFSU for the last three years as well and am continuing my studies to become a teacher.

SNBC: What brought you to this program?

VT: I am actually an alumna to RLS and volunteered in the afterschool program while in high school. I was offered a position when I graduated high school and have been working here ever since. 

SNBC: What do you enjoy most about your work within this program?

VT: Teaching the kids new things and seeing them understand them and having fun is truly the most meaningful part of this job. I really enjoy spending time with these kids. They always make me smile J

SNBC: Why do you think this program is important?

VT: Without this afterschool program, many of these students would not have grown academically and mentally like they have since being here. Afterschool programs really allow kids to deepen their learning skills and allow them to have a place to grow and develop even more.

Program Spotlight: Sunset Family Resource Collaborative

Cheryl Lou of the Sunset Family Resource Collaborative sat down with Fu Bong Li, a grandfather who brings his granddaughter to the SFRC’s Early Literacy classes every week. Cheryl chatted with Mr. Li about his experience with the SFRC and translated for the SNBC blog.

SNBC: Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

FBL: I moved to San Francisco from China in July of 1999. I have two granddaughters that I care for. One is now four years old and in preschool, the other is 2 years old and attends classes at the SFRC. My older granddaughter also attended classes at the SFRC before she started preschool.

SNBC: What brought you to this program? How did you find out about it?

FBL: I noticed kids playing at West Sunset Rec Connect while I was going to the Ortega Branch Library, and found out there were free classes offered for toddlers and their parents or grandparents through the SFRC. I started bringing my older granddaughter to the SFRC when she was 2 years old.

SNBC: What do you like most about this program? What do you and your grandchild gain from taking classes here?

FBL: The programs offered by the SFRC provide a great outlet for me to spend time with other families in the community. Through the Early Literacy classes here, my granddaughter is understanding and speaking more English, learning to sing songs, and getting to make crafts.

SNBC: Why are the services provided by the SFRC important?

FBL: These services make it so new immigrants have more opportunities to learn things about the United States’ culture. The classes here give kids a chance to learn and play.

SNBC: What do you like to do with your grandchildren in your spare time?

FBL: I like to take walks through Golden Gate Park in the morning. 

Program Spotlight: Adult Evening Programs

This interview concludes the series of profiles on SNBC's Evening Programs instructors, as part of our monthly Program Spotlight. 

Jiapeng Jiang teaches computer classes for Cantonese-speaking adults through SNBC’s Evening Programs. These free classes aim to serve the unique needs of the Sunset community, which is home to many Cantonese-speaking adults with limited English proficiency. Here, in his own words, Jiapeng talks about his experience as an instructor for SNBC’s Evening Programs.  

SNBC: Please tell us a bit about yourself.

JJ: I am a huge warriors fan, love to play badminton, and work at the San Francisco Ballet as an IT specialist, even thought I hate ballet and opera.

SNBC: How long have you been with Evening Programs?

JJ: I have been with the program since fall 2011.

SNBC: How did you first hear about SNBC?

JJ: I first heard about SNBC at San Francisco State University, where I graduated.

SNBC: What do you enjoy most about your position as an instructor?

JJ: I enjoy when my students understand and learn from what I am teaching.

SNBC: What do you hope students gain from taking your class?

A: I hope they learn how to communicate with people through the Internet and how to search for information, as they need it. 

Program Spotlight: Adult Evening Programs

This is the second of a series of interviews with SNBC's Adult Evening Programs staff. We are highlighting these fantastic instructors this week as part of our Program Spotlight. 

Sung-Hee Kim teaches watercolor and acrylic painting classes for SNBC’s Adult Evening Programs. A highly trained and accomplished artist herself, Sung-Hee enjoys sharing her passion for art with adults in the Sunset through SNBC’s free Evening Programs.  

SNBC: Please tell us a little about yourself.

SK: I am an art instructor in SNBC’s Adult Evening Programs. I earned my MFA in Oriental Painting in South Korea in 1997, and my MFA in Abstract Painting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in 2007.

SNBC: How long have you been with SNBC’s Evening Programs?

  

SK: I have been working with Evening Programs since January 2012.

SNBC: How did you first hear about SNBC?

SK: I heard about SNBC from my first daughter who graduated from A.P. Giannini Middle School last year. She really enjoyed all of SNBC’s afterschool programs, so I knew that SNBC ran a lot of great programs.

SNBC: What do you enjoy the most about your position as an instructor? 

SK: I really enjoy teaching art as well as making my own works as an abstract painter. As an Evening Programs instructor, I really enjoy teaching the kind of art that I like the most! Most of all, I am really happy to meet all of my great and talented students. I always learn new ideas from them. 

SNBC: What do you hope students gain by taking your classes?

  

SK:  I love working on my paintings because it heals me all the time. I hope that all of my students can have this same feeling and also improve their works. I respect all of my students’ creativeness in art, and I hope they gain more confidence in art from my classes. 

SNBC: Is there anything you'd like to add?

A: Learning techniques in art is important; however, I think that to improve, it is very important to practice and complete works on new subjects in art, even though we make mistakes.  

Program Spotlight: Adult Evening Programs

This is the first of several interviews with staff from SNBC's Adult Evening Programs. We are highlighting these fantastic instructors this week as part of our Program Spotlight.

Linda Schneider has been involved with SNBC since 2007. Linda started as a Flash Animation instructor at our afterschool program at A.P. Giannini, and now also works as an instructor for our Daytime Computer Classes and as a computer and technology instructor within SNBC’s Adult Evening Programs. Linda’s students span over 60 years in age and come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience with computers and technology. Fortunately, Linda is well-versed in working with people of all ages and skill-levels, and is an expert teacher of all-things tech! This fall, Linda is teaching basic computer literacy classes and creative content-creation classes (i.e. Photoshop, Flash Animation, InDesign). She is also collaborating on SNBC’s first-ever instructional video tutorials, the first of which will be available on snbc.org later this week. In her own words, Linda tells us a bit about herself and her experience as an Evening Programs instructor for SNBC.

Linda Schneider teaches middle school-aged youth and adults in SNBC's afterschool programs and Adult Evening Programs

SNBC: Please tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got involved with technology and computers.

LS: I'll never forget my first computer experiences in 1994 when I was earning my Master of Fine Arts degree. Computers scared me and I was afraid I would break them. As they say, "I've come a long way, baby!" My memories have given me the patience needed to help my beginning students. Nothing pleases a teacher more than to see those beginners become confident in their own computer skills.

SNBC: How long have you been involved with Evening Programs?

LS: I’ve been with Evening Programs since April 2010, but I have been involved with SNBC since 2007.

SNBC: What do you enjoy the most about your position?

LS: Seeing the expression in a struggling student’s eyes when they "get it."

SNBC: What do you hope students gain from your class?

LS: The ability to teach themselves whatever they want to learn. To always have an inquiring mind.

SNBC: Is there anything you'd like to add?

LS: I thoroughly enjoy the sense of community that we have within SNBC’s programs. The Evening Program Potluck Dinner exemplifies this and gives everyone a chance to mingle informally.

Introducing Sunset Media Wave!

SNBC is proud to announce the launch of our newest program: Sunset Media Wave. We sat down with Director of Creative Arts and program founder, Jon, Program Coordinator, Michael, and Program Instructor, Glenn. Here, in their own words, they give us the scoop on this exciting new program for teens. 

SNBC: Please tell us little about yourselves and your experience with SNBC. 

SMW: Sunset Media Wave is run by Jon Bernson, Michael Falsetto-Mapp, and Glenn Jackson. Jon and Michael have worked for years in the Urban Music Program at A.P.Giannini [within SNBC's After School Learning Program]. Glenn is new, but brings the wisdom of ancient sages.

SNBC: What is Sunset Media Wave? How did it come to be?

SMW: SNBC has been running teen programs for many years (including SCREAM, BAM, SOTA SOUNDS) but none of them have been funded by their own grant. About a year ago, Megan Agee (Director of SNBC), Nathaniel Carter (Program Coordinator at A.P. Giannini) and Jon started working on a grant to bring home some bacon for high schoolers. We got the grant! Now we're starting a multimedia blog. Can you smell the bacon?

SNBC: How would you describe SMW participants? 

SMW: Brilliant. Motivated. Independent. Excellent teachers.

SNBC: What do each of you enjoy most about your work within this program?

JB: Doing creative projects with teen geniuses, especially the SMW movie trailer we just shot with sand dollars, sand, and salt water.

MFM: Being creative with teens. The cut-outs we did last week were great. It was fun to see how everyone used cardboard to express their ideas for the columns in the digital realm.

GJ: It's been fun to work with the teens to collectively think on our feet creatively. I've been amazed by the strength of vision and the passion they have all brought to the table and am excited to see what we can build channeling everyone's efforts together.

SNBC: What do you hope participants gain from their experience with SMW?

SMW: The opportunity to listen to a quiet voice inside, the one that needs to overcome something intimidating in order to express something exciting.

SNBC: Anything else you’d like to add? And where can people go to find out more about Sunset Media Wave?

SMW: In two weeks, we will launch our first official posts. For the time being, we suggest re-reading this article in order to make sure you've uncovered all of our secret messages.