REACH

Jack Miranda, Staff Writer

While many students choose to take a break during the summer from the work intensive life that school presents them, a few brave middle schoolers decide to come back to learn again. On June 12th, many students from across Cleveland came to experience the REACH program for 5 weeks at University Upper Campus.

The REACH Program was founded in 1992 on the principle of enriching the education of young African-American boys. It’s a program that lasts 5 weeks for students grade 5-9 that holds up to 100 boys every year, and it even includes numerous field trips such as a visit to Washington D.C. Interestingly, Reach has a strict policy of making its campers sign up for at least 3 years, and it’s certainty one of the most unique summer programs held at the US upper campus.

The man responsible for creating this once in a lifetime experience is Mr. Terry Lipford. He coordinates the whole camp from week 1 to the end, and he is a role model for all the kids. A past REACH student, Noah Brock, explains, “Mr. Lipford is such a great man. The way he addresses us and speaks to us just made me want to become a professional, educated man like him.”  

While REACH can be a fun experience, the program can also be as serious as its director. These mud-trudging troops have to wake up early and get to the campus by a grueling time of 8:30 a.m. – a time most middle schoolers are still asleep during the summer. These boy’s mornings consisted of taking classes on core subjects during the morning such as math, science and English but with the added twists of playing many games and having a lot of fun labs. The students even joke around with the teachers and the counselors to make the morning more exciting. After lunch, a student’s day becomes more specialized according to a student’s specific interests, for each student gets to choose 2 electives, ranging from The Evolution of Hip-hop to Reality to Myths to Reality.  After a long day, students get a snack break before heading to their most “serious” class: recreational activities. While students can sometimes become bored with their core classes, they transform to serious fighters with hardened looks in their eyes when it comes to playing dodgeball, basketball, or other sports.

Although REACH is for young African-American students, several US boys can volunteer as counselors for a week. These high schoolers help out the teachers during the day, setup the lunch tables like the sophomores during the school year, and provide snacks every day. Counselors enjoy their time at REACH. One student, Riley Steiner, commented that REACH was a great cause to volunteer for, definitely beating out waiting around at the Cleveland Food Bank.