RAINBOW VILLAGE PROVIDES KIDS A SUMMER OF LEARNING

There are no tents, houses or homes in this village, but there are plenty of people milling around the Salvation Army this summer as residents of the Rainbow Village.

Angel Tyler and C.J. Walker learned about citizenship during lessons Wednesday morning. Other activities focused on learning numbers and the alphabet, but most students needed only a refresher course for those subjects.

"I'd already learned all that," Walker said during a break from his art project.

But the children hadn't learned about how to be good citizens until Tra Brown instructed them. "I've been telling them that they don't have to wait until they are adults," he said. "Just because they are smaller doesn't mean they have to be quiet."

And being quiet was far from the minds of 15 soon-to-be first grade students who chattered about crayons, drawing and games.

Learning can be fun and just because a student learns during the school year doesn't mean they should stop during the summer, said Director Sheldon Tyler.

Rainbow Village is an educational program for children that runs like a summer camp. The program's objective is not to teach children anything new, but to remind them of everything they've learned at school in the last year.

Classes begin at 9 a.m. each weekday morning at the Salvation Army. Rainbow Village is sponsored by the Caring Communities Council and the Salvation Army.

Tyler started the program about three years ago after noticing that his son had very few constructive activities to occupy his time during the summer. Now about 65 children and 20 staff participate in the Rainbow Village program.

"It's not really a summer school program because it's based on what they've already learned," Tyler said. "It's centered on fun."

During the first two years of the program, lessons focused on a central theme for all ages. Now the children are divided by age group and study everything from personal hygiene to citizenship.

"We cover their letters and numbers and have special guests," Tyler said. "It's a lot of hands-on. We try not to make it tedious or a lot of writing."

Although the program emphasizes learning, it's not strictly educational. Students don't have homework, but need to learn math skills before they can play games like multiplication bingo.

Playing games and learning new songs are the best part of coming to Rainbow Village, Angel Tyler said, adding that she learned a new song Tuesday.

Most of the children are recommended by teachers in Cape Girardeau schools or by counselors at the Caring Communities program. "It's for all the kids who couldn't afford to go to camp," Tyler said.