Amazon.com Wish List

'Tis the season when people begin asking us what we need here at the center! To those of you that choose to give, we have made it very easy for you! We have updated our Amazon.com wish list with most of the items we need. Items purchased online will be shipped directly to the center. Just click the button below and it will take you straight to our list!



Additionally, we have listed some other items we are in need of on the left side of our blog.

We appreciate all you have done for us this year!

Our Thankgiving Dinner

We decided to post early this week so everyone could see pictures of our Thanksgiving dinner last Tuesday. A very generous person donated money so that we could provide our children with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Each child was treated to turkey, potatoes, gravy, corn, cranberry sauce, and biscuits! They were also able to take a bag of food home so that their families could also enjoy a traditional American meal. It was nice to sit down as a "family" and break bread together!

After dinner, the children viewed their THANKSgiving video. They were very excited to see what they were thankful for on the big screen!

Our THANKSgiving Video!

Here is our much-anticipated THANKSgiving video! Our students, staff, and volunteers were asked to write down what they were thankful for in less than four words, although some cheated a little. We photographed those words and created this video.

As we reflect on what we are thankful for, we are reminded that we cannot serve this community without all of the support and love you show! Thank you so much!

We wish you and yours a safe and restful Thanksgiving! Enjoy the video!

Find us on Facebook!

If you are a member of Facebook, you can now communicate and keep up with us at the center that way too! We have created a "group", so you can find us by searching for the "CWA-Cayce Learning Center".

We will post events, pictures, and discussions for you to participate in on our group page!

Volunteer Spotlight: Sumaiya

Name: Sumaiya Hossain

Volunteer Since: Since 2005 with Vanderbuddies, but also volunteered my junior and senior years of high school.

What you do as a volunteer: Help students with homework

How I found out about the center: From my older brother and sister, who volunteered at CWA with Vanderbuddies

My favorite part about being a volunteer is… getting to spend time with the students. They're so much fun and I have a great time getting to know them while helping them with their homework.

My least favorite part about being a volunteer is… Being a volunteer is great, but I hate having to cancel or miss a week of volunteering at CWA if I have tests or something else come up.

My favorite memory is… hmm I have too many! But I guess one of my favorites is when I was in the computer lab with some of the middle school students and we spent the entire time on disney.com listening to High School Musical songs!

I would encourage someone else to take the leap and volunteer because… volunteering not only helps the student and the volunteer learn, but it's also really fun. Volunteering at CWA is especially fun because the students are awesome. They're really funny and smart and they make volunteering every week something I really look forward to!

Book Club

This semester, several of our elementary students are participating in a "Book Club". Each week, students read a chapter of a book that they picked out as a group and report back on their reading.

Here are some of their observations about the book...
My favorite part was "when Jack and Annie squinted at the pyramid wall." -- Shamsi, 3rd grade
What I didn't like about this chapter was "when Annie gives Jack a little push." -- Rahama, 3rd grade
In the next chapter I think "they will find the mummies." -- Shamsa, 3rd grade

The children involved in Book Club have become very independent and enjoy facilitating on their own. They remain focused and very engaged each Tuesday afternoon.

Shamsi, Shamsa, and Rahama enjoy sipping water from teacups while discussing their books.

Volunteer Spotlight: Nancy

Name: NANCY TAN

Volunteer Since: FALL 2006

What you do as a volunteer: I TRY TO HELP WITH HOMEWORK, AND I EVEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN A FEW SOMALI WORDS ON OCCASION...

How I found out about the center: VANDERBUDDIES at VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

My favorite part about being a volunteer is...KNOWING THAT I'M PLAYING A SMALL ROLE IN THE STUDENTS' SUCCESS...AND ALL THE COOL PEOPLE I'VE MET OF COURSE!

My least favorite part about being a volunteer is... STRUGGLING TO ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND HIGHER LEVELS OF LEARNING WHEN SOME STILL HAVE NOT MASTERED THE FUNDAMENTALS YET.

My favorite memory is... HAVING A CLASS OF SECOND GRADERS TEACH ME SOMALI SONGS AND DANCES AND THEN REALIZING I CAN'T DO EITHER.

I would encourage someone else to take the leap and volunteer because... THE KIDS ARE ALL WONDERFUL, AND THEY WORK REALLY HARD. KNOWING THAT WE CAN HELP THEIR ABILITY TO FUNCTION AND SUCCEED IN AMERICAN SOCIETY IS ESPECIALLY REWARDING.

Class Profile: Predators Room

This week we are highlighting our "Predators Room" in our afterschool program. This room is made up of seven students in kindergarten and first grade.

We asked them what they enjoy most about school and these are their answers:

Aisha said, "math."

Hussein said, "reading a book."

Fatuma said, "going to centers."

Muna said, "playing outside."

Mohamed said, "writing.

Amina said, "reading my books."

Ayuub was home sick this week, but we know there are many things he likes about school!

This week, our Predators Room painted pumpkins in celebration of fall! The pictures came out so well, we wanted to share some with you!

A History Lesson

This week we’d like to give you some history about the center. Many of you, our friends, are new to the center and we would love for you to know a little more about where we came from.

In 1996, representatives of the CWA Plaza Apartments, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA), the Nashville office of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Martha O’Bryan Center formed what is now known as the CWA-Cayce Learning Center. The Learning Center is part of a national collaboration called Neighborhood Networks. Neighborhood Networks is an initiative of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that was originally established to provide technology in areas where technology was historically limited (i.e. HUD-assisted, and insured properties). To date there are more than 1,200 centers across the country, however, no two centers are alike. Neighborhood Network centers are about getting out into the community, speaking with residents, and providing programs that meet their stated needs. Never do we assume to know what our community needs. Our residents are the experts in this neighborhood.

In 2005, Neighborhood Networks unveiled a program to classify it's centers. While no two Neighborhood Networks centers are alike, more than 10 years of successfully delivering technology access and other resources to America’s communities have revealed a number of factors that lead to center sustainability and success. The standards used for Designated, Certified and Model status are based on review and analysis of those factors. By following the classification guidelines, centers will be more likely to experience success in both aiding residents and increasing market value of their property. Shortly after the classification process began, our learning center became the first in the nation to earn Model Status, the highest level of achievement.

You can read about our success in NetworkNews on pages 4 & 5.

Volunteer Spotlight: Heather

Name: Heather Williams

Volunteer Since: September 2006

What you do as a volunteer: I started out with after-school Homework Club, helping the kids with their homework, and doing educational/enrichment activities with them when homework was finished. On Fridays during last school year, we had Karate Class and I worked with the kids, teaching them some fundamental skills such as kicks and punches; as well as some simple self-defense techniques. This school year, I am doing the Reading Tutor Program, helping the kids to improve their skills and hopefully learn to enjoy reading!

How I found out about the center: I saw an ad in the classifieds of the Rage newspaper.

My favorite part about being a volunteer is… being a part of these kids' lives on a regular basis. I have learned so much about their culture just from being around them once a week. They're such amazing children, very bright and full of personality! They really make me laugh -- mostly at myself but that's OK.

My least favorite part about being a volunteer is… not having as much time to spend with the kids as I would like.

My favorite memory is… Gosh, that's a hard one! The first thing that comes to mind is our "Dance-Off" at the end of school this summer. We adults might have had more fun than the kids!

I would encourage someone else to take the leap and volunteer because… there's no way to describe the "warm fuzzies" you get when a room full of little faces light up when you walk in the door -- or when you help a 4th grader FINALLY figure out that tricky long-division problem. Taking the time to get to know the kids and understanding what the Learning Center is about has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me.