“
“Hey Ms. Kiva, Hey Ms. Michelle” is the sound followed by rushed footsteps as the door to The Life Center opens at 3:00 pm.
Immediately the students pour into the kitchen sorting through their evening snack options as the soundtrack of bags of chips being tossed all throughout the snack buckets fills any silence.
Nacho Cheese Dorito’s and apple juice in tow the kids move to the work area flooded with fluorescent lights and begin filling the air with energized dialogue between crunchy bites and smacks, “did you guys make dirt in class today? We did.”
“How do you make dirt *Samaya?” asks a tutor with confusion painted all over her face.
“Well, we crumbled up Oreos and used gummi worms.”
“That sounds like fun, did you get to eat it?”
“Yes, it was good.”
Slowly juice boxes and chip bags empty and folders full of papers are pulled out. “I need to see what everyone has for homework today” comes the 
familiar sound of Ms. Georgina’s voice as she walks up and down the aisles opening folders.
Tutors begin to gravitate to the empty seats next to the students. One leading her student to the computer lab to look up famous Latin ballerina’s for a National Hispanic Heritage Month project. The others focusing on reading comprehension questions and a Christopher Columbus essay.
The minutes slowly pass, homework is completed, and books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid are devoured for daily reading.
With a few minutes left before it’s time to leave the center the kids pull out a brain teaser logic game. It has two loops that are difficult to separate unless 
you can figure out the secret.
“Okay kids it’s time to go. We will see you tomorrow!”
“Aww, I wanted to finish this game today!”
Backpacks are collected as groups walk home together for safety.
And so ends another day at The Life Center as the volunteer tutors prepare for the next.
*Names have been changed to protect participant’s identity