Weekly Media Roundup - June 12, 2013

“Summer learning is not merely about adding days to the school calendar. It is about creating life-changing experiences that help students thrive. More learning time in the hands of great teachers, great nonprofits, and students themselves activates academic content, builds background knowledge, and develops the skills necessary for success in school, college, and careers,” Boston After School and Beyond Executive Director Chris Smith wrote in a Boston Globe letter-to-the-editor responding to an article questioning if the school day should be extended. “These experiences, while beneficial to most students, are essential for some students, particularly those who have not succeeded in traditional school settings. Let’s talk about more learningtime, but let’s also explore how to use time for more active learning, more skills development, and more transformational learning experiences.”

 

“Twenty-two young ladies from the Reading Recreation Commission's after-school program got a chance to get some tips on fancy living, taking a trip to Judy's on Cherry restaurant for a bit of fine dining and etiquette lessons,” the Reading Eagle reports. The event was aimed at getting the students exposed to new experiences and out of their comfort zones. For some of the afterschool students, it was the first time they got dressed up to go out to dinner.

 

Thanks to a READ UP grant from the U.S. Department of Education, more than 300,000 children’s books will be distributed to families in Dona Ana County this summer. The program is an eight-week project that encourages parents to read with their children 20 minutes a day by providing books for children and information and incentives for parents once a week.  Weekly reading events will be held at community centers, public parks and other locations around the county.

 

Five Ithaca area high school students will conduct research that takes advantage of new opportunities in DNA sequencing technology and the availability of fully sequenced genomes as part of the Plant Genome Research Program-Research Experience for Undergraduates (PGRP-REU) at Cornell University’s Boyce Thompson Institute, the Press & Sun Bulletin reports. The summer scientists’ internships are supported locally by the Ithaca Garden Club and members of the community.