We started offering afterschool services in Malden five years ago. We are located directly across from the Beebe school, but we’ve always had a lot of interest from parents of students going to Forestdale or Cheverus.
This year, finally, we were able to secure a company with the proper credentials that can transport the kids from Forestdale or Cheverus to our location.
Here are the “high notes” based on the most common questions we’ve received so far:
We offer care, but we also have daily enrichment activities for the kids in music, art, and programming, as well as STEM. All the activities are led by specialists in those respective fields.
The main options are M-W, M-Thurs, and M-F; options outside that incur a surcharge of 5-15% (5% for three days or fewer), and an interested family will need to send us an email to info@maldenlearning.com with the request.
We offer services on Malden Public School (MPS) early dismissal days. We follow the Malden Public Schools calendar. Unfortunately, we do not offer early services on Cheverus early dismissal days at this time.
Services are from 2:30-5:30 on normal days and 11:00-5:30 on early dismissal days.
Transportation is in partnership with Aquerela Transportation Inc. This company has been serving Malden for a few years now.
The first day of service from Forestdale and Cheverus to MAP Family Learning Center will be Monday, 9/9.
The cost of transportation is currently $15 per day. We’ve done our best to find the best rate.
We approaching our fifth and final week of MAP summer workshops, and we wanted to spend a few minutes highlighting some of the fun things that the kids were able to experience, as well as begin to think about what this means for the upcoming semesters of afterschool at MAP. This post will go over some of the highlights of the summer.
Multicultural
This summer, we followed a global theme for the second year in a row. This year, we explored the culture of Kyoto, Mumbai, Cairo, Barcelona, and New York, and we did this through the lenses of music, art, and programming. This was both challenging and fun, and we teachers, along with the students, learned a lot!
We even programmed multiculturally! These students are creating a virtual tabla with Music Blocks and Makey Makey.Warren Senders, who studied music in India for a number of years, introduced the kids to the music of India.
The kids were able to experience so many engaging activities centered around each week’s culture theme — everything from improvising on drums and instruments over an Egyptian groove to creating a miniature Sagrada Família as an art project to coding a virtual tabla with Music Blocks and Makey Makey.
Multidisciplinary
The “MAP” in “MAP Family Learning Center” stands for “music, art, and programming”. We, of course, explored these topics, but we did much more. For example, one thread that has been continuing through the summer is aperiodic monotiles, which are a mathematical curiosity discovered just last year. We were given a box of these blocks to play with, and the kids enjoyed playing with them during some of the choice times, as well as learning about some of the math that makes them so special.
In addition to this, the kids did various science projects, explored geometry and math through programming, and even had time set aside each Friday to cook together. All of these little moments, we believe, added up to a deeply enriching and memorable summer.
Students explored geometry with coding.We cooked on Fridays.Kids created art with the 3Doodler.Kids created art with the 3Doodler.Students explored newly found mathematical discoveries.
Fall afterschool is right around the corner!
Although I could add much more about all the wonderful things the kids did over the summer, I’ll need to stop here. I do want to point out that at MAP afterschool, our afterschool program during the school year has similar activities. Kids, of course, get an opportunity to wind down, read, and do their homework, but each day of the week we lead the group in one enriching activity. We work hard to create an atmosphere where kids can have fun learning new things, have the room they need to explore powerful concepts, and, we hope, learn to love learning.
A tip of the hat to our faculty, staff, and interns
In order to achieve some of these classroom feats, the teachers at MAP met for hours over the course of two weeks to brainstorm and workshop activities that were fun and meaningful. Through this preparation, MAP teachers all learned a lot about these different cultures and deepen their own mastery of music, art, and computer programming. This was a lot of fun for us, and we think it helped ensure a more enriching experience for all the kids who attended this summer.
In addition to curriculum development, MAP staff and interns met for a training led by Darryl Bullock of Kids LAHF. This training helped staff and interns better prepare for the summer in a nuts and bolts way.
Lastly, we’d like to thank the City of Malden, which helped us receive the assistance of some wonderful interns through their Mayor’s Youth Employment Program (MYSEP). These interns helped with various tasks — from cleaning to playing with the kids and assisting in the classroom. And, perhaps most importantly, we enjoy mentoring these youth and giving them an opportunity to get hands-on training to help prepare them for their future.
We are happy to announce two new music instructors at MAP Family Learning Center, “Mina” Mingyeong Son and “Rafa” Rafael Moreno. Mina teaches piano and general music, and Rafa teaches voice and composition.
We’re excited to have these two new instructors with us. They’ve been doing great work with the kids so far, and their students are already making great progress. Read on to learn a little bit more about their background as well as how to book private lessons with one of these two instructors.
About Mina
Mingyeong Son
Mina is a versatile musician, educator, and scholar residing in the Boston area. Born and raised in South Korea, she embarked on her musical journey at the age of five, immersing herself in classical piano and music studies.
Throughout her academic pursuits, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in music composition and music theory from Seoul National University, followed by a Master’s degree from Northwestern University in IL, and finally achieved her Ph.D. in Musicology from the College of Music at Seoul National University. She has worked as a piano faculty member at the Musical Offering at Evanston School of Music in Illinois over the past five years, Mina has honed her teaching skills, effectively blending music theory with practical techniques.
Her teaching expertise is further enriched by her post-doctoral work as a Musicology Researcher at Harvard University. Currently, she holds the esteemed positions of piano/organ accompanist at Boston-West Korean Presbyterian Church. This has allowed her to build strong connections with students of diverse ages and proficiency levels, ranging from beginners to advanced learners.
Her primary goal is to foster a genuine love for music among her students. Mina’s passion for music and her dedication to nurturing the talents of her students make her a remarkable presence in the musical community.
About Rafa
Rafa Moreno is a Panamanian Singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and educator. He started his professional career in 2000 and has recorded 3 studio albums.
In 2009, while in Panamá, Rafa participated in the reality show Vive La Música, ending up in second place and since then he became a public figure in Panama, not only as a musician, but as an actor, and TV host.
Having studied Marketing and Advertising, a master’s in management and a master’s in education, in 2018, Rafa decided to study music formally and entered the University of Panamá to study an Undergrad in Music, and in 2020, he started his career as a student at Berklee College of Music obtaining an Undergrad in Contemporary and Production in May 2023. As a Berklee student, Rafa had the honor of sharing the stage with Grammy winners like Gilberto Santa Rosa and Tony Succar. In November 2023 Rafa released “Album 1”, his first album as a producer, arranger, and Singer-Songwriter, and is currently working as a music teacher. Who also works as a singer and arranger for many bands in Massachusetts.
Interested in booking a lesson?
We will be putting their information on the website soon, but in the meantime, feel free to send us an email at info@mapflc.com with some of your preferences for days and time. We can schedule your thirty-minute trial lesson for a discounted $13.75 on your behalf.
As always, students get both care and mentorship in music, art, and programming throughout the year.
We have both a Monday thru Friday and a Monday thru Wednesday option for the school year; other options may be requested, but are not guaranteed, and require a surcharge (see page for details).
Currently available to students ages 5-11.
Free pickup from the Beebe school.
Pickup time is between 5:00-5:30pm.
Private music lessons in piano, guitar, and/or voice are available for those who request it, for an additional fee, discounted below the normal rate.
Registration is complete with a $100 non-refundable deposit. The deposit goes toward tuition.
Registration
First, select the date on the calendar.
Choose either the five day (M-F) option or the three day (M-W) option.
If you are registering siblings who will be attending together, change the number of participants to “2” (next to “book”).
Complete the requested information about your child.
Click book and pay the deposit.
Select either M-W or M-F
Questions
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at info@mapflc.com or drop a comment below.
I just wanted to give a quick update for some concerts I recommend MAP students to attend.
Upcoming concerts
Attending music concerts is a critical part of education. Just as we learn language by listening to those around us speaking the language, we learn music by listening to it, and a concert is a presentation of music by people speaking their musical language. Plus, one of these concerts features a MAP music instructor as performer, and one features MAP students.
For the paid events, MAP instructor Devin Ulibarri may be able to get students in for a discount. If you are currently taking lessons and interested in attending, please ask.
Upcoming art event
MAP art instructor Chie Yasuda will be showcasing her work as part of Somerville Open Studios on the weekend of May 4-5. If you are able, we encourage you to check out her work. Her art will be showcased at the Armory in Somerville, MA. More information is available at https://www.somervilleopenstudios.org/web/artists/artist_profile/1406
Keep the learning going!
We hope that families can take advantage of this list of events, which we expect to be entertaining, educational, and inspiring. We’ll also do our best to keep you in the loop of other events.
