Edwards youth programs offer nourishment to mind, body Published Dec. 15, 2010 By Diane Betzler Staff Writer EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- To understand what happy sounds like, just visit the Youth Center or its School Age Annex and listen to the joy-filled sounds of Edwards' youngest at work and play. The Edwards Youth Program is set up to accommodate the hectic schedule of today‟s working parents while offering children a safe, educational, fun and creative place to spend their time before and after school hours throughout the school year - and during the hot, lazy days of summer. Youngsters in the program are eager to share their accomplishments and show off their after-school projects. "We're learning to paint like 'Pacosco,'" said an exuberant 7-year-old Ashley, referring to the famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. "Oh yes," agreed their Arts and Crafts instructor Jacinta Cross, known as Ms. Jacinta to the youngsters. "Three of my students asked for a more challenging assignment, so I introduced them to Picasso and his work and challenged them to focus on painting using shapes and lines," said Ms. Jacinta, bursting with pride and pointing out the different artistic techniques of each young and upcoming artist. "Actually I think these paintings are better than Picasso's," Ms. Jacinta said. Picasso's original, Verre et Pichet, is flat, whereas the children's paintings are filled with texture, she said. She pointed out how young Ashley's art work is meticulous, while Regina's is more freehand and filled with personal feeling and little Amber has mastered mixing colors. Ms. Jacinta is a big fan of teamwork and points out how her students work many projects together as well as individually, and shows off several second-graders deeply immersed in a class project. "It takes time to teach them concentration," she said, pointing out how the children are holding their brushes properly and are working together as a team painting guitar shapes and making them look more realistic. Little Dominic Herrera, also 7, proudly shows off his special project, a rocket ship that's bigger than he is. "I thought about making a bunch of little rockets, but Ms. Jacinta suggested I make one big rocket. I thought about it and it sounded good, so I made one really big rocket," he said, posing for a picture with his prized possession. "It's not really going to fly anywhere, it's like just a model and stuff," he explained. The Branch Elementary second-grader said after he finishes making the rocket he's going to give it to the Air Force. "I want to actually see if they let me build stuff for them like engines and the whole plane," he said. Seven-year-old Cassie said she enjoys going to the Annex after school because she likes her arts and crafts class. "I like painting the best and Ms. Jacinta is my best friend," she said. "Here the children work at their leisure," Ms. Jacinta said, adding, "there's no rush, they can take as much time as they need to work on their projects." She said she has taken her young students to a higher level of learning about art and said when the little ones first came into her classroom they didn't really know much about the subject. "Here they've learned how to use the different materials, such as paints, brushes, and canvases. Before they've only painted on paper, now they paint on canvas and know what that is," Ms. Jacinta said. The children's art work is being displayed all around the base. "We have three art pieces loaned out to the library. Some of the children's clay art is being displayed at the Muroc Club," she said. "Parents can pretty much see their child's work anywhere they go on base." Ms. Jacinta said her goal is to introduce children to a variety of experiences that will increase their awareness of colors and shapes. "That exposure encourages children to learn and develop techniques that aid in self-expression and self-awareness," she said. Gwyn Down, School Age coordinator, said the Annex staff's biggest reward is seeing the children succeed. "We get to watch them go from childhood to adulthood. We watch them become independent and form relationships, and we take pride in knowing that we had something to do with forming that child," Ms. Down said. For more information about the Youth Program, parents can contact Ms. Steele at: andrea.steele@edwards.af.mil.