"To the Bell and Beyond:" IST joins MCCSC in a 21st Century Community Learning Program

Project Director: Bob Appelman

The Instructional Systems Technology (IST) Department, in a collaborative effort with Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC), The Boys and Girls Club, The Bloomington Department of Parks and Recreation, and WonderLab, has received a grant to provide enrichment activities to targeted students in Bloomington. Over the three years of the project, IST's portion of the grant will allow students in the Computer Educator License Program to spend 60 hours each semester in elementary contexts here in Bloomington.

The project aims to implement and expand opportunities for targeted students to improve their academic, personal, health and social needs through a seamless delivery of services. It is not just about students' passing tests, but providing an environment where learning is fun and engaging. The program offers a four-pronged strategy: after-school program for grades 3 through 6; parent education; family celebrations; and summer programs for grades K through 5. Specific objectives to be measured will be increased Math, Language Arts, and Science scores, as well as attendance and other behavior measures.

The three enrichment partners will work primarily with the after-school program by rotating through each school on 6-week sessions, which will complete each 18-week semester. The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation will offer a Healthy Hearts program covering cardiovasclar fitness and nutrition. The Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring component will use high school students as the "Bigs". They will partner with specific students and participate at least once a week in the academic or enrichment programs with their "Littles". WonderLab will offer the interactive science-based activities that they are best known for and specifically will be implementing a CSI discovery strategy for this effort. IU's Technology Education students will offer "Technology Literacy for Better Living" in an attempt to bridge the digital divide between low-income or single-parent homes, and more affluent families, in access to the internet and other technology productivity tools.