The afternoon dismissal bell rings from the Tamaqua Elementary School every day. But the night is young for many faculty and students who are involved in the SHINE afterschool program.

For a majority of the school year, from 3:30-6 p.m., up to 80 students and many faculty members unite to participate in a plethora of beneficial learning experiences and activities.

“We do have a referral process so we do look for the kids that could benefit from the homework help or the STEM activities that we do,” said Jolene Barron, Tamaqua’s SHINE coordinator. “Each group does a half-hour of homework help, a half-hour of physical activity, a half-hour of STEM activity and then we eat dinner together and bus them home free of cost.”

SHINE’s most recent activity was a community service project.

“Our third-, fourth- and fifth-graders assembled a wooden wishing-well, and then we decided we wanted to do a second one,” Barron said.

The wishing wells were donated to the police department and the ambulance association; packed with brand-new stuffed animals. Additionally, giant totes of stuffed animals were distributed to the American Hose Fire Company, Citizens’ Fire Company, East End Fire Company and the South Ward Fire Company.

First responders belonging to those organizations were on campus Wednesday evening to receive the donations.

“We brainstormed as a group, and I had mentioned that I’d like to involve the first responders,” Barron said. “We came up with the idea of building the two wishing wells, and we reached out to the TASD faculty and some of the high school students and asked them if they’d be willing to donate new stuffed animals. Our intention is that when our first responders are out on a call, whether there’s an accident or fire; any call when children are involved and scared and frightened or injured, that they could offer them a stuffed animal to comfort them.”

The Tamaqua first responders came to the school in their vehicles, which the SHINE students very much enjoyed as they got a firsthand look at their equipment.

“Anyone can donate any time; we can get them to the first responders,” Barron said. “I’m sure they’ll run out at some point, so it would be nice to keep that flow going. We just ask that they’re new, and not used, because of kids with allergies.”

SHINE is for students in first through fifth grades. Barron said, kindergarten students have a separate program, where teachers go on home visits once a week for one-on-one sessions. Additionally, many schools in Carbon, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties have SHINE programs.

Behind Barron’s leadership, the Tamaqua Elementary SHINE program has taken off in just its second year and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

“We have a lot of positive things happening for the kids and we’re very excited. The parents and kids both love it.”