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<p>LARKSVILLE &#8212; Asked how she liked it, Natalynn Schwing didn&#8217;t mince words. &#8220;It&#8217;s gross!&#8221;</p><p>OK, maybe the question warrants clarification. How does she like the new SHINE afterschool program at State Street Elementary School, as opposed to how she likes the activity of the moment. She remained emphatic. &#8220;I don&#8217;t like it when I have to touch yucky things.&#8221;</p><p>The &#8220;yucky thing&#8221; was bird seed mixed with flour, corn syrup, gelatin and just enough water to make the concoction a bit sticky so it could be stuffed into cookie cutters. The youngsters were making bird seed blocks.</p><p>But it was more than a simple crafting activity to pass time, SHINE Director Mary T. Kolessar pointed out. &#8220;There&#8217;s a lot of math and science in it,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They had to mix the ingredients. They had to double the recipe.&#8221; The students have also studied which birds eat what, how beak shapes reflect their diets and which feathers are water repellent.</p><p>From the moment it was announced last December the program would be coming to Luzerne County, the plan for SHINE &#8212; short for School and Homes in Education &#8212; was to focus on another acronym, STEM subjects, or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.</p><p>The program is now up and running at the State Street for Wyoming Valley West students from grades one through four and at West Side Career and Technology Center for grades five through eight, Kolessar said. The CTC serves students from Wilkes-Barre Area, Hanover Area and Greater Nanticoke Area school districts.</p><p>Kolessar hopes to add five more locations by the end of December: Heights Murray Elementary in Wilkes-Barre Area, Greater Nanticoke Area Elementary Center, Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technology Center, Maple Manor Elementary in Hazleton Area and Hazleton Area Career and Technology Center.</p><p>The 32-week program is funded through government money and private donations. It has been running in Carbon and Schuylkill counties for years. State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, and U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Hazleton, teamed to help bring it here, with Wilkes University agreeing to be a partner.</p><p>So far, SHINE in Luzerne County has three full-time employees and 45 part-time workers.</p><p>Kolessar said 36 students are in the State Street program, which begins each day &#8220;with about 10 minutes for them to burn off energy&#8221; before they break into two groups, first and second grade in one and third and fourth in the other.</p><p>The students spend part of their time doing hands-on projects like the bird seed block, and part of it getting help with homework. They also get a free hot meal provided through the Commission on Economic Opportunity.</p><p>In the library where the students were doing homework, Joshua Etzle, 7, struggled a bit spelling out what the pictures on his paper depicted, then started breezing through the rest of his work &#8212; so much so that he decided to chide his buddy Morgan Daniels.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m telling your dad you&#8217;re not doing your homework!&#8221;</p><p>Morgan slouched forward, pressing his cheek into one hand while idly holding a pencil in the other, eyes staring far off.</p><p>Asked if he was going to do his homework, Morgan offered a matter-of-fact reply. &#8220;Probably not.&#8221;</p><p>Teacher Hillary Pratz disagreed.</p><p>&#8220;Oh, we&#8217;re doing homework!&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Natalynn Schwing, 8, Princess Franklin, 8, and Nyla Williams, 9, create bird feeders with the guidance of Linda Scarantino at State Street Elementary School in Larksville Monday afternoon. The activity was part of the new SHINE afterschool program that has debuted at State Street and West Side Career and Technical Center, with plans to expand to five other schools in December. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111015SHINE1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Natalynn Schwing, 8, Princess Franklin, 8, and Nyla Williams, 9, create bird feeders with the guidance of Linda Scarantino at State Street Elementary School in Larksville Monday afternoon. The activity was part of the new SHINE afterschool program that has debuted at State Street and West Side Career and Technical Center, with plans to expand to five other schools in December. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111015SHINE2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Morgan Daniels thinks while doing his homework, Austin Franklin looks around while Hillary Pratz helps Joshua Etzle with his homework and Iniya Rae completes her work. The children, all 7 years old, are part of the new SHINE afterschool program. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111015SHINE2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Morgan Daniels thinks while doing his homework, Austin Franklin looks around while Hillary Pratz helps Joshua Etzle with his homework and Iniya Rae completes her work. The children, all 7 years old, are part of the new SHINE afterschool program. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

SHINE afterschool program comes to Luzerne County