Kids at a local public housing project now have a safe place to learn and have fun after school.
The Prospect Hill Terrace Community Learning Center opened its doors yesterday at its temporary quarters at 63D Hansen Road.
Residents and tenant activists say the center is a much-needed addition.
"I'm so excited," said tenant activist Olga Olmedo. "The kids have a safe place to come and be together, a place where they can grow and learn together."
Leo Flores, president of the newly formed Prospect Hill Terrace Tenants Association, also stressed the importance of the new center, of which he is the administrator.
"It's necessary ... the kids have somewhere to go to say out of the cold," he said. "It's just a peaceful environment. Everyone gets along here and we're trying to keep the bad things away."
Yesterday, students from Brandeis University's Community-Engaged Learning, or CEL, program began offering after-school programs. As part of the CEL program, students and faculty have forged strong links to people living at the complex.
Children yesterday mixed with Brandeis students, who helped them with homework and arts activities.
"For me, this is a way for me and my sister to get along," said Prospect Hill resident Briana Santiago. "I think it's important. It will give students a chance to get help on their homework."
An area for preschoolers was constructed offering stuffed animals and bean bag chairs for children ages 2 through 5.
Izamonique Edouard, 11, helped run the registration table.
"Some people need help with homework," Edouard said about the center. "Some people don't have computers at home and sometimes their mom and dad might not be able to drive them to the library to use them."
As children painted a welcome banner to hang outside the facility, representatives from Brandeis were figuring out how best to run the center.
"What we're seeing here is a lot of individual energy really helps," said Mark Auslander of Brandeis University. "It seems to be going really well ... we're learning already today that it's good to have one room for elementary school students and one room for middle school students."
Auslander, the academic director of the community learning program, said the center is the result of a collaboration of Brandeis, the Prospect Hill Tenants Association, the Waltham Alliance to Create Housing and Tenants Organized to Reform Community Housing.
"I think the extraordinary thing about this is this really is a full cooperation (among the four parties)," Auslander said. "It's just a joy for me and my students."
According to Auslander, they expect to have six iMac computers, donated by Brandeis, installed in the temporary facility by Feb. 25. An anonymous donor at Brandeis has provided money to install an alarm system to protect the center's contents.
Brandeis student Jenna Kon, 19, will be running some of the adult education classes that will be held Wednesday nights.
"My goal is to connect to the Brandeis community with the programs I'm holding for adults here," she said. "It's just going to keep expanding ... this is the first day it's been open and we're already filled (to capacity)."
According to Auslander, at least eight academic classes at Brandeis are currently involved in supporting collaborative programs at the center and in Prospect Hill.
Homework tutoring and after-school enrichment programs will be offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for children and teens from 3:30 to 6 p.m.
Adult programs, including English language classes, will be offered Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30.
A permanent home for the center is slated for a former day care center at 24 Hansen Road. Work there could be finished as early as December.
The vacant day care center is currently holding construction equipment for the Waltham Housing Authority, which is renovating much of the apartment complex.
Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com.
