Students speaking English as a second language sometimes feel sheepish about it, but the YMCA Power Scholars at Central Middle School are getting a new sense of pride.

When Vice Principal Katchia Gethers recently asked them to stand up if English was not their first language, about half of them did so and were greeted with a hearty round of applause.

“That’s just mind-blowing that you can speak two languages,” Gethers told the incoming sixth graders in the summer program. “Even as adults, your teachers may not be able to do that.”

Her encouragement reflects the attitude shift that Power Scholars Academy Camp offers children at Central’s downtown campus, which serves a largely low-income population, mostly of Micronesian and Filipino ancestry. Their slogan: “Finding my genius within.”

The six-week academy aims to help students make strides academically and socially over the summer, rather than slipping behind. It is a partnership of the YMCA of Honolulu, Central Middle and BellXcel, a national nonprofit that developed the evidence-­based program.

>> Photo Gallery: YMCA program helps Central Middle School students

Michael Broderick, president and CEO of the YMCA of Honolulu, said they launched the free program three years ago in hopes of helping kids succeed despite difficult circumstances at home.

“When I was a Family Court judge, I saw so many youth really lose their way over the summer,” he said. “And it wasn’t just the summer learning gap. Most of these kids were idle, and they often ended up getting in trouble. These are kids that generally had very little opportunity.”

So far, the program is showing strong results on both the academic and social-emotional fronts. Each summer from 2016 to 2018, Honolulu’s Power Scholars have shown substantial gains in reading and math performance, outpacing their peers nationally.

Last year the 71 Honolulu scholars gained an average of three months in reading performance and two months in math over the six-week program. In 2017 the gains were three months in math and two in reading. Students gained three months in both subjects in 2016.

“Honolulu’s Power Scholars have done exceptionally well,” said Kris Murray, associate vice president of BellXcel. “If you think about the expected loss of two months (of learning) over the summer, plus the three-month gain, that’s a five-month impact because of this program. That’s half the school year.”

BellXcel partners with more than 50 YMCAs across the country, and on average, nationally, students gain a month and a half in reading and math in the program, she said.

Academics is just part of the formula at the academy, Broderick noted.

“It gives them the support and resources not just to excel academically; these kids gain self-confidence, character development, they learn leadership and a love of learning,” Broderick said. “The thing that’s most important to me is they develop a belief in themselves that they deserve and can achieve a lot more.”

Students are served a hot breakfast and hot lunch, plus snacks. They also get heaping servings of TLC. Staff check in every day with each child to see how they are feeling and help figure out how to handle problems, whether it’s hungry siblings at home or fear of making mistakes in class, said Gethers, academy site manager.

Along with readings on contemporary figures overcoming adversity, the multifaceted academy offers engaging activities, such as cooking, coding, swimming and hip-hop, plus field trips on Fridays. For many it’s the first time they’ve gone to Bishop Museum or YMCA’s Camp Erdman on the North Shore, visited a taro patch or even ridden on a school bus.

“What I really like about this program is we learn while we’re having fun,” said 11-year-old Tristan Areola.

One of the cool things he said he’s learned — perhaps surprising for a fun-loving kid — takes place when the kids are at their quietest.

“In the morning we do some activities so we can clear our minds, and we do some meditation,” he said. “We meditate for five minutes. For sixth grade it’s going to help me for when I’m stressed or something.”

Another lesson he’s absorbed: “Sometimes you have to face hard challenges,” he said. “I just try my best and don’t give up.”

Eleina Olap, 14, one of the first Power Scholars in 2016, at first resisted the idea of enrolling in the academy, wanting instead just to hang out with friends. But she’s glad she took part, and credits the staff.

“Every single time someone would feel down, they would always make us feel like we are worth something,” Olap said. “And we can do anything as long as we believe in ourselves. They were really good role models.”

Olap is now a student at McKinley High and a “leader-in-training” at the Nuuanu YMCA’s youth program this summer.

“This program really did change me because of the things they made me think about,” she said. “I think I’d be a different person, honestly. It actually made me try harder and actually do good in school and have, like, a motivation.”

More than 8 out of 10 parents reported their children had a better attitude toward school and more confidence. Nine out of 10 teachers felt the strategies and training they got from the academy had improved their own skills.

The program was launched with funding from the national YMCA. Community partners include St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Harris United Methodist Church and the Nuuanu Y’s Service Club. Other funders include Safeway, Pettus Foundation and Ohana Health Plan, which contributed $10,000 to plug a funding shortfall this summer.

The YMCA of Honolulu is seeking additional funders to offer Power Scholar academies on other campuses.

“The program works,” Broderick said. “And the vision is to replicate the success at Central Middle School in other underserved communities around our island. We want to literally meet the students where they are in their neighborhoods.”