Walk into the School of Rock and Rockets, and you’ll be greeted by a drum set, a bass guitar, an inflatable brain and loads of games and books aimed at young minds.

Jean Navarre, a longtime educator and youth advocate, plans to open rockin’ after-school and weekend date night programs next month, complete with science and music activities designed to bring young people’s passions to light.

The After-School School of Rock and Rockets will combine instruments, video gaming and exploratory experiments with homework help and free time in a relaxed format Navarre hopes will appeal to the middle schoolers and upper elementary schoolers who attend the new program.

“I want to have a place where kids can jam and let music be part of their life,” said Navarre, sporting an Elvis T-shirt in honor of the King’s 75th birthday on Friday, Jan. 8. The soulful strains of an Elvis ballad hung in the air. “And I like to study the big concepts of science, because it shows you how the world works, and it’s kind of cool.”

And her Date Night program, which begins Valentine’s Day weekend, will offer a safe and fun place for elementary and middle schoolers to hang out while their parents take in evening activities on Friday and Saturday nights, she said.

Those who attend Navarre’s after-school program will have free rein in her house and a special Rock and Rockets room, which is filling up with instruments for kids to play. A digital drum kit, electric bass guitar and amp, keyboard, ukulele and percussion instruments await young hands in the small room Navarre has decked out in youthful patterns and posters for her new program.

And several Island musicians have committed to spending some time with students at the school, Navarre said, fostering the young people’s budding musical talent.

Computers, a Wii, rocket science kits, board and card games and shelves full of books are tucked into different parts of Navarre’s house.

Navarre is opening the School of Rock and Rockets because there are few, if any, after-school programs suited for middle-schoolers — an age that can still benefit from supervised time after school, she said.

“I do think it’s an underserved population on the Island,” Navarre said. “I want to provide an atmosphere where kids can do their thing.”

She said she envisions her after-school program as a safe place for adolescents on Vashon.

“We have a problem of drugs on the Island, and I’m hoping that having something like this will help keep kids turned on to what they should be on to,” she said.

Navarre has a decades-long history of working with children and teens. She established an elementary school and a preschool for intellectually gifted students in Ann Arbor, Mich., both of which are still open today, before moving to Vashon seven years ago. Since arriving on the Island, she’s been active in youth and teen affairs, volunteering her time often to be with youth and serving on the Vashon Youth Council board.

When Vashon’s youth center The Crux was open, Navarre was often present, supervising evening activities, helping with homework or filling in however she could.

“Jean really believes that young people have excellent creative ideas and sometimes just need support to execute them,” said Yve Susskind, founder of the Vashon Youth Council. “She’s very supportive of young people and their creativity.”

Navarre, Susskind said, “loves to be engaged with young people and do things they love to do. She’s not afraid to try youthful things.”

Navarre is drawing inspiration for various activities at the School of Rock and Rockets from her years of experience with kids and teenagers from many places and different walks of life.

The science portion of the school will focus on “science you can do with things in your own house,” Navarre said — like experiments with ingredients that come from the kitchen.

Navarre said she hopes to instill a sense of community in her students, encouraging them to “pay it forward,” or give back to the local area however they see fit.

“Community activism — I hope that’s something we can foster here,” she said.

The After-School School of Rock and Rockets is open to students ages 9 to 14. Enrollment is limited to 10 students. The school is located on Monument Road. Date Nights are on Friday and Saturday nights, starting Valentine’s Day weekend. Date Nights are open to elementary and middle schoolers, and advanced sign-up is required. Visit schoolofrockandrockets.com or call Navarre at 463-4948 for more information.