ABOUT US
Vela means “come out and shine” in Xhosa
and “candle” in Spanish.
The VELA Scholars program provides Amherst Regional Middle School (ARMS) students with learning and enrichment opportunities after regular school hours beyond what might otherwise be available to them. We work hard to increase students’ confidence, social, and emotional well-being, as well as their academic performance. By working with teachers, interns, community partners, and other students in the classroom and beyond, VELA hopes students will:
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Increase core competencies and comprehension in academic subjects
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Engage in intellectually stimulating and personally interesting projects and activities
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Prevent the loss of recently learned skills and knowledge
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Feel a greater connection to ARMS and the local community
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Have fun while learning!
A Partnership With The Collaborative for Educational Services & Amherst Regional Middle School
After School Program
VELA After School Start Date: September 2023 TBA
Daily Schedule for 2022-2023: TBA
Transportation for 2022-2023:
Transportation will be provided free of charge to students who live in Amherst.
**Please note VELA is not held of early release or vacation days
Program Staff
The Vela Scholars program staff is comprised of a program coordinator, VELA support staff, VELA enrichment staff, ARHS student volunteers, ARMS classroom teachers, ARMS counselors, and Amherst College & UMASS volunteers. Please direct all questions, concerns, and communications to
Nancita Alejandro, Program Coordinator at alejandron@arps.org
Enrichment Activities
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Songwriting & Recording
Students will focus on songwriting and recording an original song with instruction from international recording Hip Hop artist Tem Blessed. This class will focus on all the steps necessary to complete and perform an original song: song concept, messaging, song lyrics, music composition, production, music engineering, recording, and performance, (including stage and video techniques). Students will get a well-rounded experience whether they are beginning or continuing their passion for a career in the music industry.
Basketball
Basketball with Coach Crystal is an activity designed to develop student’s basketball skills in a team setting. From drills to full scrimmages, students will have the opportunity to become better players and hone their basketball skills. This activity is open to both beginners and experienced players. No previous knowledge of basketball is required.
Sports are a great way to stay active, but an even greater way to build character and personal relationships. Participating students will learn to be a teammate, how to set goals, how to be passionate, how to prepare, how to persevere, and much more. Basketball will not only allow students to develop as a player, but will also aid them in their personal development.
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Pop Up Discussions
In whole group and small break out discussions, students will discuss topics that are relevant to both their own community and the world. From topics like sexuality, race, and the effects of Covid-19, students are given a space to communicate their confusion, frustrations, and beliefs.
With each topic explored, a special guest will be invited to kick off that day’s discussion topic. The special guest will share their own personal experiences that will help shape smaller student conversations. The hope is that students leave these discussions with many of their questions answered and walk out as more informed and conscious individuals.
Beat Making
DJ Anghelli brings the art of beat making to the students. Through the free online tool, audio tool, DJ Anghelli walks the students through the functions of the online site. Students will learn to engineer their own beats by experimenting with different instruments, sounds, and samples. No prior experience is needed. This class is geared towards students interested in music and/or curious about the art of beat making.
Through a culturally relevant structured step by step curriculum students will learn DJing, music theory, engineering, studio management, and music production. Participants create and produce their own studio quality music tracks and record an instrumental compilation CD. In this course, you will learn the essentials of what it takes to make a hit. Students will produce their own beats with digital software, explore recording techniques, learn to remix and sample their favorite songs for inspirations, and understand the ins and outs of being a DJ, producer, and performer. This course can be seamlessly transitioned from classroom to distance learning.
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VELA Radio
Have you ever had so many built up emotions that you just need to express, but just don’t have the words to? Well, sometimes others have those words for you. In this activity, centered around emotional expression through music, students will have a space to create playlists guided by their current emotions. Check out the youtube channel to see what students made in the past!
During these turbulent times, many of us are feeling a wide range of emotions. While some may write in their journal or run around outside, we understand many turn to music. Whatever a students’ desired form of expression, outward emotional expression is necessary for healthy child and emotional development. This class is a space where students can explore their most authentic mode of expression and grow into well adjusted young adults.
Fantasy Sports
A popular craze amongst people everywhere! Students will join this phenomenon while applying their classroom math skills. For all the big sports fans, the games and activities in Fantasy Sports will get students excited about learning and practicing math. This fun-filled class will allow students to apply math concepts they are currently learning in the classroom.
Students will curate their own fantasy team by choosing current professional players. Following their players’ statistics, and calculating their team’s total points using algebraic methods, students will follow and analyze their chosen players while applying relevant math skills. The instructions of the class are very easy to follow with dynamic, hands-on games that accommodate all learning styles and abilities.
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Sports Mix
Students will engage in a variety of recreational activities while embracing the outdoors. From tennis to yoga, students get a chance to move their bodies and practice multiple forms of movements and physical skills either virtually or in person.
Activities will be geared toward students of any and all skill levels, and there is absolutely no fitness requirement. Students will be properly instructed in the necessary skills and injury prevention methods so that they can have fun and properly engage with the activities. Sports and physical activity introduces students to teamwork, flexibility, fairness, and competitiveness. Beyond these valuable interpersonal and physical skills, this class lays a foundation for students to engage with and create a healthy relationship with physical activity for a healthy present and future.
Real Talk
Real Talk is a safe and open space for students to discuss occurrences in their daily lives. From middle school to family relationships, students join in on a facilitated discussion by Ms. Evelin Aquino.
While very vulnerable and personal conversations can be had, Evelin is very intentional about curating a non-judgemental and open environment. Students will learn to articulate their thoughts through journaling and art. These dialogues are conducted through prompted dialogue, allowing students to engage, listen, and develop empathy for one another.
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Intern Lesson
During the summer, VELA welcomes a handful of interns from surrounding universities. Students will be able to learn from these passionate interns who possess a variety of interests and talents. The interns create a 1 hour lesson based on their personal interests, ranging from psychology to bridge making. These lessons are generally a one-time activity, so students are encouraged to sign up for as many as they please. This way, the students and the interns learn from each other and experience a unique interaction as young adults in different stages of their education and development.
Students will be able to learn from educators beyond the school, providing a fresh new perspective on various topics. These lessons often incorporate a collection of different academic subjects and present them in a creative way. In these Intern Lessons, students may be engaging with historical figures, mathematical or scientific concepts, social and emotional learning, identity exploration, or visual arts.
Food, Farming, & Fun
This class is a fantastic opportunity for students to cook their own meals, and perhaps even meals for their families, while learning. They will follow along with Farmer Leila as she lays out simple but delicious recipes and even how to use their leftovers and scraps in productive ways.
Farmer Leila incorporates a wealth of information beyond the recipes themselves. She might introduce a local ingredient and share the ingredient’s regional roots, growing needs, and historical use. In this way she provides knowledge about the local environment and sets students up to consider where their food comes from, how it is prepared, and how it arrives in their home. Even further, she sets them up to ponder the history of the ingredients they enjoy and the foods that are familiar to them.
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Mind Hacks
Can studying underwater improve your memory? What's the prisoner's dilemma? Is an "average" face really the most attractive? Do you suffer from change blindness? What is game theory? Are you a bystander? Find out in Mind Hacks! Create optical illusions to fool your friends, hack your way through studying, experience taste tripping for yourself, discuss the ins and outs of mental health, and participate in prominent psychology experiments performed by your own classmates! Dive into the fun side of psychology with Mind Hacks!
Mind Hacks is a class dedicated to inspiring students to explore themselves and their peers from a psychological perspective. Mallory’s strategy relies on keeping the students engaged and interested, so her lessons will often discuss psychological phenomena that may surprise and stimulate the mind to consider, as they feel so natural and normal.
After School Socials
At the end of each month the staff provide a special afternoon for the students that is full of fun games, catered food, arts and crafts activities, and diversified music. The social has different themes and serves as a time for the students to relax and enjoy themselves. The type of food provided ranges from Puerto Rican to American and other cultures and there is always plenty of dessert. As the games and art activities commence, the students are able to build stronger relationships with each other through such a positive experience and win game prizes. The students make the vibe their own as they request music to be played that spans from genres such as spanish, R&B, pop, etcetera. This type of engagement allows the staff and the students to celebrate the VELA program together and reward the students for working hard during and after school.
Contact Us: 413-362-1861 / alejandron@arps.org / 170 Chestnut Street, Amherst, MA 01002
Field Trips to the Farm!
One of the field trips that is offered for the students is a trip to Millbrook Stable Farm! This is a new partnership that offers different opportunities for the students. They get to learn how to groom horses, learn what stable life is like, and get to actually horseback ride! Students are also offered games like finding prizes in the hay bales and taking tractor rides for tours of the farm. At the end of the field trip, they are provided with hand cut fries from the farms own grown potatoes and watch them fry up in front of them to enjoy once they are cooked.
Creative Station
This arts based class focuses on identity and climate justice. Students will learn about different aspects of climate change and create art projects using different mediums to express their thoughts on climate change and what we as humans can do to combat this reality. One overarching project that the students participate in is creating a life-size tree where they add different pieces of their identity and possible solutions as leaves onto the tree. The students work in pairs to identify who they are and how they would like to be seen. The leaves are then added to the tree and create a beautiful depiction of real life solutions.
Dungeons and dragons
Dungeons & Dragons-Build your own adventure by Dungeons and dragons will have students create their own stories using their imaginations. This interactive storytelling class will take students on a storytelling adventure by exploring fantasy realms and undertaking challenges. Students will be completely immersed in the adventure stories all while using techniques for effective problem solving and reinforcement of language arts. This is a collaborative class sure to engage students 12-14 years old.
Music Theory-Beginner Guitar lessons
This class is a collaboration with the ARMS rock and roll club. It is meant for student's who are beginner's their craft. Students will break up into small groups to learn different chords and be able to learn how to play. At the end of class they can regroup and practice the song they have been learning.