Fishing for Knowledge at Panther Power-Up

Panther Power-Up is growing, and so are the minds of the students who participate in the summer learning enrichment program.  
“Panther Power-Up” offers literacy, science and math enrichment opportunities for New Richland/Heartland/Ellendale/Geneva (NRHEG) elementary students in kindergarten through fifth grade who can benefit from additional learning opportunities. The program began three years ago and is designed to help students get academic help during the summer that will better prepare them for the upcoming school year. Last year, Panther Power-Up had 32 participants. This summer, nearly 60 students attended the three-week long program, which concluded with a special program on Thursday, July 30. This year’s theme was “Fishing for Knowledge,” incorporating fish, worms, Minnesota ecosystems and more into three weeks of fun-filled learning. 
Panther Power-Up coordinator Diana Foster says that the growth can be attributed to the community’s support. “The school administration and staff have been profound in our growth,” said Foster. Area businesses and organizations have also helped to build the program in other ways.  
This year, for the first time, bus transportation was available for students in each community, thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Wells VFW, who hosted an omelet fundraiser in March. The Heartland Fire Department also made a generous donation to help fund next summer’s curriculum, and Lerberg’s Foods also donated food for the celebration last Thursday. And, thanks to the Minnesota Food Program, students also enjoyed breakfast and lunch each day.
Students were also elated when Foster announced that each student would also receive a copy of the books they’ve read together: “How to Eat Fried Worms” (for students in third through fifth grade) and “Diary of a Worm” (for students in kindergarten through second grade.) The surprise was made possible thanks to donations from First National Bank of Waseca, Russ Nelson Electric of Ellendale and Brian Wayne Pioneer Seed of Ellendale. 
“We’ve been reading some really good literature,” said Foster. “We’ve learned that reading can be fun, engaging and open your up to a whole new world.”
The program was administered by elementary principal Doug Anderson and taught by several different teachers, grouped by grade level. Each student had the chance to participate in hands-on activities, each relating to fishing and/or worms, while also building a stronger knowledge of science, math, social studies and literacy.  
During last week’s program, the students performed a few songs for their parents and other supporters. Each teacher also took a few minutes to share what their students have been learning and highlighted a few of the popular class activities. Some students created their own worm-related recipes, and others created graphs illustrating the average length of night crawlers. The entire group also took field trips to Cabela’s and also had the opportunity to go fishing. 
After the program, a few lucky students got to take home special prizes, including fishing poles, tackle boxes and fishing nets. All students also got to take home a bobber, candy or other small treasures. 
Although the students (and teachers) were sad to see the program come to an end, they are already looking forward to next year.