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A biotech pilot program to get students excited about STEM

Submitted by thenotebook on Tue, 03/05/2013 - 13:21 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

by Charlotte Pope

Robin Bethune, a junior at Roxborough High School, is intrigued by forensics, and she is eager about a class she's taking as part of an afterschool program being piloted in the District.

“Last class, we did a lab where we had to figure out who was at a crime scene by looking at DNA fingerprinting,” Bethune said. “I am excited to see the results.”

Bethune is one of 25 District students who are participating in a new biotechnology program launched by Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) in partnership with the District's 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund. The program, called Quest, uses lectures and lab-based research to help students gain skills in science, technology, engineering, and math -- also known as the STEM fields.

Events: November is Family Literacy Month

Submitted by Samuel Reed III on Mon, 11/05/2012 - 17:08 | Permalink

Literacy events and programs provide opportunities to improve the educational outcomes and quality of life in our city and beyond. Throughout November, schools, libraries, and other literacy organizations will be participating through read-a-thons, book drives, celebrity appearances, and more. 

Here are several events worth checking out in Philadalphia. 

 

New afterschool program puts students on a path to STEM

Submitted by thenotebook on Thu, 10/18/2012 - 15:54 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

by Kofi Biney

About 15 million children go unsupervised after the school day ends, according to the nonprofit advocacy organization Afterschool Alliance. But in Philadelphia, many students will now have a new afterschool program to keep them busy.

District hosts open houses for Regional Talent Centers

Submitted by thenotebook on Fri, 10/05/2012 - 12:51 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

By Kofi Biney

When you first walk into Universal Audenried Charter High School, you are greeted by banners displaying various positive messages, such as “My future begins here,” “I help others succeed,” and “I will overcome.”

Audenried isn't just promoting this can-do attitude through its banners, but as the location of the South Philadelphia Regional Talent Center.

Carver students launch mobile app at annual technology symposium

Submitted by thenotebook on Fri, 09/28/2012 - 15:48 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

By Kofi Biney and Charlotte Pope

It’s not every day that students get to create technology for a respected political figure. But at the sixth annual Carole I. Smith Technology Symposium held Thursday, three District students launched R3chdev, a mobile application they designed for Pennsylvania State Sen. LeAnna M. Washington of the Fourth District.

Conference on 'action civics' meets in city

Submitted by Dale Mezzacappa on Wed, 09/19/2012 - 16:22 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

A national group hoping to redefine civics education held a conference in Philadelphia earlier this month to strategize about ways to help schools prepare students to be engaged citizens.

The effort, called the National Action Civics Collaborative (NACC), is also aimed at working with schools to move civics beyond classrooms and textbooks into real-world projects and activities, especially in schools that serve less affluent, marginalized students.

ASAP debuts annual directory of afterschool programs

Submitted by thenotebook on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 13:42 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

By Charlotte Pope

In an early-morning event near Philadelphia’s famed Clothespin sculpture, red-shirted staff from the After School Activities Partnerships (ASAP) distributed fresh copies of the nonprofit’s annual directory of afterschool programs.

The guide is distributed as a supplement to the Philadelphia Daily News.

The publication is the organization’s largest to date, containing information about more than 1,000 afterschool programs, including chess, drama, debate, Scrabble, sports, and art. Through participation, students increase academic achievement, improve attendance and peer and adult relations, and gain a deeper respect for guidelines and expectations around student conduct.

Impact100 awards grants to afterschool programs

Submitted by Katie McCabe on Mon, 07/02/2012 - 12:45 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

At a time when public funding affecting many of the city’s youth is in jeopardy, the women of Impact100 Philadelphia have chosen to award their annual grants to two organizations serving Philadelphia children: After School Activities Partnerships (ASAP) and the Village of Arts and Humanities.

The two organizations accepted awards of $100,000 each in a ceremony June 26 in the Village’s Ile Ife Park.

A writing gem in North Philadelphia encourages students to be creative

Submitted by Peak Johnson on Mon, 06/11/2012 - 13:19 | Permalink

Not far from a bustling street and directly across from a heavily populated neighborhood sits a community beautifully decorated with sculptures and murals by The Village of Arts and Humanities.

Deep within their North Philadelphia community, students of the Spells Writing Lab  prepare for a daily routine of writing, reading, and other engaging activities.

Chess club in Kensington builds confidence

Submitted by Guest blogger on Tue, 02/21/2012 - 16:12 Posted in Community voices | Permalink

This guest blog post about a chess club at Sheppard Elementary School comes courtesy of Marshall Bright, a 2011-12 Philly Fellow. Sheppard is one of the schools facing possible closure.


What goes on inside Sheppard distinguishes the school – one of the few in the area to consistently make adequate yearly progress – from the surrounding community. In a neighborhood area known for drugs and gun violence, not for academic excellence, the largest club at Sheppard is the chess team. Once a week students stay after school to hone their chess game – twice a week during the competitive season.

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