Several years ago, Carmen and Juanita Black began offering filtered honey from the beehives on their farm.
The rural 8-acre property, along Delany Road in Zion, gave the family a chance to bond and also raised the possibility of teaching others the hobby.
After applying and receiving a $100,000 grant from the Illinois State Board of Education, through its after-school program initiative, Black’s Academy of Excellence was formed as a non-profit agency. The goal was to provide children with an opportunity for exposure to crafts and hobbies that could lead to a future career path.
Zion Elementary School District 6 officials were interested in the idea and approach, supplying space in the Central Middle School’s basement, with three large rooms, each assigned a given craft for each day.
“We do different programs including beekeeping, fish farming, gardening, creative arts, and culinary arts,” Juanita Black said. “Every Tuesday and Thursday, we alternate between them. We also have vendors come in and teach them different skill sets, like videography.”
“One afternoon, we had Judge Mathis, from the television show, come in,” she said. “He held a mock jury trial and delivered inspirational messages that the kids can do things if they apply themselves. We try to do as much as we can, exposing them to a career, but at the same time keeping them busy.”
There are no cell phones allowed while programs are being run, and everyone is engaged. On a recent day, the kitchen area was covered in the materials for making spaghetti, sauce and garlic bread.
As for the food, the students get to enjoy their own cooking and go home with leftovers for their families. The skills learned also get translated into something practical, such as children whipping up dinner for their families.
“One night, I made lasagna for dinner, and my family was surprised,” student Sienna Miller said. “I like coming here after school, because there’s always something different going on. I like cooking the best, though.”
Another room had creative painting, and the printing of original-design T-shirts by the students.
Several volunteers mixed the paints in separate batches, with each student getting a canvas to express themselves visually. The young artists splashed on every color possible, even moving the frame to drip the paint at different angles.
Thirty students from the middle school are now participating in the programs. The school itself is very supportive of the venture, and is looking for ways to expand it.
“I love this. I wish they would have been here earlier,” said Tara Thomas, the district’s academic enrichment coordinator. “What I like about it is that it is an incentive … if the kids realize they are not doing well in school regarding behavior, they may not be able to participate. They want to participate. It helps us — a two-way street and a win-win.”
Christopher Johnson, the school’s principal, said, “Black’s Academy has partnered with us this year, and is helping sixth- and seventh-grade students develop positive social skills and professional skills, outside the classroom. They’ve also taken them to their farm, teaching craftsmanship, and they’ve been very successful.”
Juanita Black also said a summer camp is in the works, including meals, supervision, and of course, hobbies like beekeeping. Funding is being researched through private and business donations, or individual assistance.
“We want to help kids grow,” Black said. “If they get the urge to continue with something they’ve learned through the program … what better foundation can we offer?”
