The organization helps preschoolers learn language and social skills they will need in school. Elementary and middle school students receive tutoring after school. ACLAMO also offers a summer educational enrichment program. It is a “fun and safe place to learn,” Mr. Guerra says. A study by a University of Pennsylvania doctoral student found that children who attended ACLAMO programs as preschoolers continued to do well in school in later years, according to Mr. Guerra. To describe ACLAMO’s impact, Mr. Guerra tells the story of an 11-year-old girl who arrived from Mexico speaking no English. Her mother worked day and night to provide for her and her sister. But the girl wasn’t keeping up with her schoolwork because she couldn’t understand English well enough. Her mother enrolled her in ACLAMO’s after-school program. The girl’s grades improved and she continued to take part in ACLAMO activities. As a high school student, she even became a volunteer tutor for the after-school program she had formerly attended. She now plans to enroll at Pennsylvania State University in fall 2014 and study early childhood education, Mr. Guerra says. Mr. Guerra says ACLAMO is unique because it offers so many services, from health to education to cultural activities. It even organizes food drives to help people in need—something that he knows firsthand can make a big difference for immigrant families. —By Healthy Panther staff Eisenhower Science and Technology Leadership Academy 13 Illustration by Janaya Fisher, James Dobson Fit Fin