For 10 Years, Amistad Club Has Meant 'Friendship'

Many people in this region associate the name "Amistad" with the Spanish slave ship whose story was told in the 1997 Steven Spielberg movie of the same name, or by the replica sailing vessel launched in 2000 at the Mystic Seaport.

But the name itself means friendship, and that is why it seemed the perfect name to call an after-school program started 10 years ago in Ledyard for children from homes where English is not the first language. 

The Amistad Club, which continues to meet every Thursday afternoon at the Bill Library, was started by Janet Barnett and Sara Holdridge, both retired school teachers.

“We started it as a mission to help these children, because so many of them lived in families that spoke another language at home, so we thought we could help them with their homework,” said Barnett.

Children from two Peruvian families formed the initial core group, Holdridge recalled. “And they kept bringing more and more,” she said.

Barnett and Holdridge said some families came regularly for years. The after-school program also attracted student volunteers from Ledyard High School. 

Holdridge said the key to the program's success has been the social interaction that occurs during club meetings. The first 45 minutes are usually spent doing homework, but then the children are free to play games and engage in other social activities.  And, of course, there are always cookies and other treats at the end of the meetings. 

“It’s not just homework, it’s also the interaction that happens afterward,” Holdridge said, adding that the behavioral modeling that takes place between the children and high school volunteers is a big part of the value of Amistad Club.

Barnett said at least six of the LHS volunteers have gone on to become teachers. Two of the original Amistad Club children also have became school teachers, she said.

“I feel like their grandma,” said Holdridge, who has been included in family celebrations through the years.

Three years ago, Barnett and Holdridge took a hiatus from Amistad Club. For a while, the program became part of the library’s regular programming, Holdridge said.  But it seemed to be missing something during that time. "So they asked us to come back."

They both seem pretty glad to be back.