Long, long ago, I promised to keep readers updated on news of expanded learning from publications around the country. Well, sorry—those updates had a way of getting delayed by other, more pressing deadlines. But today I return to news of note in the expanded learning realm. Read on for details and links.
This piece from wickedlocal.com (gotta love that URL!) asks why an extended-learning program in Framingham, Mass., is being abandoned. The article doesn’t definitively answer the question, but does make clear that expanded learning can pose challenges. It’s “not as simple as adding two hours to the day,” Framingham Superintendent Steven Hiersche tells reporter Scott O’Connell.
Meanwhile, feature on a summer science program offered by GlaxoSmithKline in partnership with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. As the article puts it: “Created by a Glaxo scientist, Science in the Summer is meant to prevent the ‘summer slide,’ when children forget what they learned during the school year, and to give 2nd through 6th grade students a chance to participate in hands-on experiments.”
Here’s something different: San Diego Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips is selling high-end peanut butter to raise money for after-school programs. Check out this piece on Business Insider SAI (Silicon Alley Insider, that is). Apparently, Phillips will use his Twitter account to promote the peanut butter, which he’s selling online to benefit After School All-Stars, a nonprofit.
And, finally, some good news from New Jersey for after-school proponents there. As the New Jersey After 3 website reports, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie recently signed a fiscal 2011 budget that restores $3 million in state funding to the NJ After 3 program—initially, that money was going to be cut because of the tough budget situation in the Garden State.