Issue link: https://alabamapower.uberflip.com/i/722088
43 basic sentences," said Cotten. "I was shocked … heartbroken." From this realization came the idea for the YLP. SDC partnered with the Literacy Council of Central Alabama and Project Horseshoe Farm (an afterschool tutoring program in Greensboro) to make the YLP a reality. In 2014, the multiweek pilot program for rising fifth-graders began with a focus on reading intervention, literacy skills and creative writing. Local elementary teachers helped identify candidates for the program – ones who had fallen behind during the school year as well as students who showed potential to excel. "Whether it's helping under- performing students get closer to reading on grade level, or helping exceptional students continue to grow and develop a deeper love of learning, it is of the utmost importance to me for students to walk into their class in August ready for school," said Cotten, who is an English teacher at Mountain Brook Junior High and YLP coordinator. YLP includes a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) component. The ongoing summer themes of exploration are a backdrop to the core curriculum, allowing students to apply what they learn in the classroom to the real world. For many students, enrichment has become the most exciting part of YLP. With activities such as computer coding, karate, chess and field trips, students have an opportunity to take learning beyond the SDC. In keeping with this past summer's superhero theme, students took a field trip to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and heard Greensboro police officers speak about everyday heroes who make a difference. Andrew Cotten credits his passion for teaching with what he learned through the years while on staff at SDC. "I learned I wanted to become a teacher while serving as a high school staff member at SDC," said Cotten. "So to come back years later and share that love of learning with the community that helped me find my vocation in the first place felt like a godsend." By involving teachers from Greensboro Elementary and staff from across the state, the future of SDC and YLP is filled with promise. In the spring of 2016, YLP received a grant from the Alabama Power Foundation.