STUTTGART, Germany -- Learning to maintain a vehicle or trying Latin dance are usually activities reserved for adults.
Now, children in grades 1-12 can try them out - for little to no cost - with the new, Army-wide Child, Youth and School Services after-school program, EDGE!
EDGE!, or Experience, Develop, Grow, and Excel, partners Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs with CYS Services to present kid-friendly, educational classes.
The program kicked off in U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart in September.
"We go [look for] kids who aren't doing anything [after-school]," said Jackie D'Agostino, EDGE! director. "Maybe they're just not into sports. We want to teach them positive leisure skills that will last a lifetime."
Classes typically run for four weeks and include activities such as clay molding, exercise classes, sewing and fashion design. The classes meet weekdays after school, usually between 3 and 6 p.m.
EDGE! classes are free for children in grades six to 12 and $5 an hour for grades one through five.
"We're going to offer, for the first time, film production and computer editing," D'Agostino said. "With the typical costs associated with that, [most people] couldn't afford it."
So far, the most popular classes are art and design classes, such as clay molding, at the Patch Multi-Crafts Center, she added.
"You get to mess around - get yourself dirty," said Evan Heidenreich, 9, as he shaped a mound of clay into a pair of dice during a class on Sept. 17.
Heidenreich and his classmates received more than just a fun afternoon, however. Each EDGE! course builds on the lessons of the previous class; at the end of four weeks, students will have tried and mastered several exercises.
For example, a spin (stationary bike) class instructor will first teach students how to use the bike, and then teach them spinning techniques, D'Agostino said. "So, if you've never done spin, you're not afraid to go in there."
Future classes in the works include 'Rockin' in October,' a rock-climbing class hosted by Outdoor Recreation; 'Tune Your Ride,' which will teach teens how to maintain a car, and a "Make and Skate" class, in which students can build their own skateboard from scratch at the Multi-Crafts Center.
"It seems like all the kids are pretty stoked," said Cory Hoffman, frame shop manager at the Multi-Crafts Center. "We have a lot of new skaters."
D'Agostino also hopes to expand the program to offer classes on every garrison installation.
"It's something new," she added. "I think the cost is minimal. It's an incredible opportunity for everyone involved."
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