The development of La Clase Mágica began in 1989 under the supervision of Dr. Olga Vásquez, an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Vásquez came to St. Leo's Mission to start the program in the Fall of 1989, after receiving her Ph.D. in Education at Stanford. With the help of Lourdes Durán, and other community members, La Clase Mágica, also known as "LCM," serves to supplement the education of the community's children.
La Clase Magica is a bilingual/bicultural innovation of the Fifth Dimension, an after school educational project linking the university with community institutions to funnel resources to the local children. Designed to promote elementary school-aged children’s literacy and cognitive development, the Fifth Dimension is simultaneously a fantasy world and real-life setting, mixing play and education to motivate the children on task behavior. The system of artifacts, e.g., maze, task cards and constitution – prompt children to imagine themselves in a journey through a fantasy world ruled by a magical being. The combination of fantasy and skill-building activities create a culture of collaborative learning in which children direct their own development. Scaffolding by the adults and magical being known as the Wizard or El Maga of La Clase Mágica also contributes to their learning.
Therefore, LCM children acquire the knowledge embedded in up to 70 computer games and activities. They also learn about the everyday life and hopes and aspirations of undergraduate students who form close and trusting relationships with them. Once the children have played at least 10 games at "expert" and/or 10 "good" levels, they can move on to the next level, which is to become a wizard assistant. A community member, acting as a site coordinator, manages the interrelations between the undergraduates, children, and community members as well as the upkeep and development of curricular materials.
