When UISD’s Juan Livas faced about 1,500 audience members at the National Afterschool Association conference in Dallas, he had some wise borrowed advice for them.
“Be Water.”
The quote from the legendary Bruce Lee - who meant to teach how to adapt to difficult situations - is: “You put water in a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can flow or it can crash.”
But what does it have to do with afterschool programs? Plenty, Livas said.
During his speech in March, he talked about his own experiences working with the district’s After School Adventures program, which has about 1,000 students attending after school in the tuition-based program.
When he started mid-year as a head caregiver at an elementary school in 2011, many challenges faced him. Staff shortages and differing expectations from students and parents.
“When I first got hired in UISD, I was placed in a leadership position, a head caregiver,” Livas said. “I came in wanting to implement some activities. It was mid-year and you try to work with the staff and have the students buy in, but, of course, coming in mid-year, you realize there are going to be little challenges to overcome … those habits that had been formed.”
He had to think quickly to resolve some issues.
“There is pushing back like why do I have to do these activities … staff was absent almost every other day, and parents became upset. I had to quickly learn to be water and be flexible,” Livas added.
He jumped in and began with positive changes. The overall biggest impact he has had is merging community groups with ASA, according to Ana Priscilla Dominguez, ASA Federal Programs Coordinator.
Community members began visiting the students, teaching them creative skills on how to approach life. For example, a dance studio leader and dancers came to not only show how to perform but how the art builds self-confidence, promotes teamwork and supports physical health.
“He connects us, even our Family Matters Resource Center, with the community partners that we have. For example, he brought to the Trautmann after school program a puppet show by the Laredo Public Library to read to the children. He invited the TAMIU Chemistry Society. He has connected us with Texas A&M Agrilife and we have a garden at Fasken, and it’s just a lot of working with the community and working with what’s out there,” Dominguez said.
Livas is connected to a lot of organizations in the community such as the Rio Grande International Study Center, Laredo Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Toastmasters International, Laredo Immigrant Alliance and NLC South Texas Frontera.
Eventually, Livas moved into his current position, which is a full-time Community Partnership Officer. And he continues to bring community groups to the schools to teach life lessons and have fun with the students.
National Afterschool Association officials invited the ASA workers to speak at the conference about their personal experiences. Livas submitted a proposal to talk about “Be Water” and the pitch was one of seven accepted nationwide.
“The Be Water is adapting to the container you are in and being flexible and having that flexible positive mindset and you are going to have your ups and downs, and water can flow and crash … specifically in an afterschool program, you will have days where students don’t like the activities, parents can be upset for particular reasons, there can be staff shortages. You have to have a positive mindset,” Livas said.
Dominguez, who was in the audience during Livas’ speech, said she noticed that people were laughing in agreement with Livas and identifying with him.
“His speech was so relatable. People were laughing and the examples he gave … they were saying yes, I have been there,” Dominguez said “And they were so excited to hear him since he is a Hispanic male. We don’t have a lot of Hispanic male speakers. The board president and members encouraged him to speak professionally.”
During the speech in Dallas, Livas went one step further and posed Water as an acronym. W is welcoming, a is for adaptability, t is for teamwork, e is for empowering and r is for refreshing.
“The R is the most important one. It is the why. It really grounds it,” Livas said. “It’s refreshing when you paint your face with the child. It is refreshing to see someone working in the program who used to be in the afterschool program. That’s growth. And it’s refreshing when children and their parents see you shopping or at a restaurant and they come up and say, ‘Thank you and you’re giving my child somewhere safe to be while I am working’.”
Dominguez, who used to be a teacher at Fasken Elementary, said it is wonderful when she runs into former students who want to work with ASA.
“They say, ‘Remember me?’ This is a stepping stone for someone’s career. This is a good stepping stone to start in the education field. It’s part time, a great experience for college students and a great thing to put on a resume,” Dominguez said.
ASA costs $150 a month in tuition and provides an opportunity for working families to have their children in a safe, nurturing environment, Dominguez explained. It is an easy transition from school as most of the staff works at the site.
“They have a warm meal and we have a police officer there during the afternoon until the students get picked up,” she added.
Livas, meanwhile, said he hopes he and his co-workers continue to seek opportunities to impact people through sharing their stories.
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