Many children faced with cultural, language and economic
differences are garnering good skills to live and play in today
’s world as they develop strong positive self-identities and
academic skills with the help of the youth programs that the El
Toro Youth Center offers.
Many children faced with cultural, language and economic differences are garnering good skills to live and play in today’s world as they develop strong positive self-identities and academic skills with the help of the youth programs that the El Toro Youth Center offers.
Computer training, tutoring, parenting, social enrichment and recreational arts and crafts represent some of the services that El Toro is giving to young students and their parents to help them succeed.
According to Lori Escobar, program director, the local schools are seeing a 93 pecent improvement in the academic achievements of the children who participate in El Toro’s after school program. El Toro, located on Crest Avenue, opens its doors to over 60 children every week day after school to come to participate in the Tutorial Program and other workshops.
Escobar works closely with the schools talking with teachers, pulling report cards and charting academics, behavior and attendance to evaluate the progress of the youth participants.
“It’s really a pleasure to see these kids succeed,” said Escobar, who has been at the center for more than 17 years.
El Toro has several technology laboratories. The primary lab has the technology and resources to help students go beyond simplistic keyboarding they learn when they first come to the center. A library wall of books, arts and crafts, tyke-size computer stations and additional work stations where 5-8 year-olds log on to play educational games furnish the lab.
Mostly teenagers occupy the Internet lab. Staff members and volunteers show them how to access the Web for research, get help with homework and play games.
El Toro’s comprehensive programs also focus on training the parents of the children who attend the center. Issues covered include encouraging good social skills as well as anti-gang, teenage pregnancy and drug classes.
“It’s nice when a parent tells me that they recognized something in their child’s behavior or saw something that was discussed in a training class. That tells me that the training has had a good impact,” said Escobar.
The Morgan Hill Police Department and the Child Abuse Prevention Program (CAPP) trains El Toro’s participants on refusal skills, to say no to drugs and how to respond to people who try to impose drugs or gang involvement on them.
Many of the parents attend the English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and the basic computer literacy training classes El Toro offers.
Escobar said that El Toro really tries to give the children a well-rounded program like allowing them participate in the local Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center (WERC) where they learned about the Rain Forest and the environment.
El Toro, located on Crest Avenue just north of West Main Avenue (near P.W. Walsh Elementary School), is primarily funded by donations from private and corporate foundations. A few noted donors are Morgan Hill’s local Intero Real Estate, Rotary Club, Lucile Packard Foundation, Microsoft and individual community persons. Second Harvest Food Banks donates snacks and juices.
“The strength of our donations comes from the many small, local community donors,” said Escobar.
In the community room, children are quietly reading, others are coloring, playing games or talking to one another. Parents are walking in requesting applications to get their children into the program, but there is a waiting list.
Escobar said El Toro needs additional space to house more services for the kids and families.
“Expansion plans are in the works, but nothing is solidified,” said Escobar.
Because El Toro is a Community Solutions program, the non-profit agency is working with the city on the expansion.
Escobar also said that the city is extremely supportive because El Toro is providing services necessary to the community, and that there is no other program in the area like it.
Escobar continues to be inspired and likes to reinvent the programs at El Toro. Her love for El Toro and the children is colored throughout the building with artwork and crafts she creates. Her personal collection of supplies and books are neatly stored on shelves and in closets that she has collected over the years.
“I’ve seen kids go to college and when they come back to visit, it pushes me to continue to make a difference,” said Escobar.
“I’m also inspired to keep pushing when kids fail. That makes me work harder with the ones that I have. I reinvent us all of the time to keep up with the challenges of technology and to provide positive information necessary for the children,” said Escobar.
For information on programs offered at the El Toro Youth Center, call 779-6002.
