Getting into ‘Character’ | Highlights From Our Summer Literacy Institute
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Last week, more than 70 new and returning MS ExTRA tutors gathered for a two-day literacy institute led by our own Program and Literacy Managers. The engaging conversations and workshops ranged from how to foster good reading habits and attitudes to assessing a budding bookworm’s reading comprehension. Built on best practices and using feedback from previous years’ attendees, this year’s sessions were designed with special attention to helping new tutors prepare for reading groups using a tried-and-true method: role playing! Read full post
Design2Learn kicks off year 2!
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Three-dimensional structures designed to stand up to an earthquake (from a do it yourself shake table) and Godzilla (the weight of blocks). A dowel structure designed with windows and doors to withstand a zombie-apocalypse. Miniature cars, composed of simple machines and household materials, powered by baking soda and vinegar. An investigation of a slime product gone wrong. What do all these inventive creations have in common? They were ideated, built and tested by imaginative educators trained in design-based teaching as part of ExpandED Schools initiative, Design2Learn. Read full post
Standing Up for What's Right | LiteracyConnections
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
When speaking about children, James Baldwin noted that “we will all profit by or pay for what they become.” This weekend’s white supremacist rally in Charlottesville—set against a national backdrop of escalating, discriminatory rhetoric and action towards Muslims, transgender individuals, immigrants and other marginalized groups—highlights the potency of Baldwin’s words, as well as the duty of parents and educators to engage in challenging conversations with children about racism, bias and how to stand up for what’s right. In fact, we’ve provided resources in the past for having these conversations in light of national events. Read full post
Send a Note to a 6th Grader, Impact a Future!
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
If you could go back in time, what would you say to your adolescent self? Now you’ve got that chance! Not to time travel, but to impart words of wisdom and encouragement to a 6th grader on his or her first days of middle school. In 45 seconds, you can customize a simple message to a student in one of our middle schools. Read full post
What's Lucy Reading?
Thursday, July 27, 2017
I'm reading articles on how art education is depleting for kids in poverty, a historical fiction novel, and a new SEL study from Princeton-Brookings. Read full post
House Appropriations Committee Cuts and Next Steps
Monday, July 24, 2017
While the House bill improved on the Trump Administration proposal by rejecting its shortsighted attempt to completely eliminate the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Program, it still results in a $191 million cut from the previous year. Ultimately, the House bill falls short in providing the critical support needed to provide high-quality and evidence-based after-school programming for 1.6 million children in families in high-need communities across the country. Read full post
One in a Million: Fashion Design, Protecting Your Heart, and Having Fun
Friday, July 21, 2017
We reached our 1 millionth student this school year! This blog is part of a series where we journey throughout our expanded learning schools network and get to know some of our students. Meet Bianca, who just finished 6th grade in Queens. She’s 1 in a million! Read full post
Introducing 'ExpandED Pathways: Computer Science'
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Thanks to generous funding from the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation and Google.org, ExpandED Schools is launching ExpandED Pathways: Computer Science, an initiative designed with a dual purpose to strengthen and grow both the pipeline of individuals prepared and qualified to teach in NYC public schools and the supply of effective computer science (CS) specialists working in after-school and expanded learning programs. Read full post
Motivating Middle-School 'Market Makers'
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Sarah Levitt, Vice President and Counsel at Deutsche Bank (and sister of our own Daniel Levitt, Program Manager), volunteered at East Flatbush Community Research School. There, she worked with community educators from University Settlement to support students as they started their custom-designed phone case company, I-See-You. Here’s what Sarah had to say about her experience as a Market Makers volunteer. Read full post
Let's Tackle the Summer Slide: Part 2! | LiteracyConnections
Thursday, July 6, 2017
The summer slide is well documented. Our own Katie Brohawn, Senior Director of Research, summarized this research in a post last August highlighting a study showing that students in low-income neighborhoods can lose two months of reading achievement over the course of a single summer. Luckily, we also know a wide range of strategies for keeping kids engaged in joyful literacy learning during the months off of school. Our LiteracyConnections blog series will share several of these strategies over the next several weeks. Read full post
