Students get extra help on Saturdays

But it means giving up Saturday morning cartoons.

The Saturday School program, which began six weeks ago, is offered every Saturday from 9 a.m to noon at Richmond Heights Middle School, 15015 SW 103rd Ave.

It will continue through the middle of June. Another session will begin sometime in June, but no dates have been set.

About 25 students are taking part in the project, sponsored by the Richmond Heights Neighborhood Crime Watch and Transition.

More are welcome, said Deacon George Baldwin, one of the program's leaders.

``It's amazing,'' he said. ``In just six weeks you can already see an attitude change in the youths.''

The program's costs are minimal. The teachers are volunteers and the school donates the space. Money goes toward materials and custodial services.

Baldwin said most of the students are between 8 and 11 years old, but the program will accept kids up to 16.

But that's the tough part, Baldwin said -- getting the older kids to give up part of their weekend. He believes, however, that once a student attends, he will be hooked.

At first, he said, ``most older kids probably don't want to go. But once they do, they'll stay.''