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New CPS Program Is Not Your Typical Summer School

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This year Cincinnati Public Schools launched a new program to accelerate learning beyond the school year. The Summer Scholars program launched in June, and it's not the summer school of years past.

The program provides education for preschool through 12th grade and offers a curriculum with social learning and enrichment. Every CPS building offered its own version of the program this summer.

"Summer Scholars was an opportunity to address the needs of the whole child," says CPS Curriculum Manager Dawn William, Ph.D. "They were able to build relationships with their peers through community in different ways, from cooking classes to walking field trips to woodwork. So, our ultimate goal was to interest the entire student and their family."

Dr. Williams says the Summer Scholars program is focused on enrichment, not academic remediation. That means meeting any student at whatever their entry point is into the learning environment.

"When we talk about equity and access, we need to provide opportunities for every child in every seat to learn. Remediation that doesn't accelerate the learning of all students. So instead of remediation, we are accelerating the learning of all of our students," Williams says.

In addition to academics, the Summer Scholars program includes afternoon enrichment from gardening to chess to karate.

"One of the components that we had this year was our morning mindfulness. When students entered the building with their classes, they stopped centered themselves around, this is our community," says Williams.

Joining Cincinnati Edition to discuss the new Summer Scholars program is Cincinnati Public Schools Office of Curriculum and Instruction Curriculum Manager for Mathematics Dawn Williams, Ph.D. Dr. Williams oversees the Summer Scholars program.

Listen to Cincinnati Edition live at noon M-F. Audio for this segment will be uploaded after 4 p.m. ET.

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Michael Monks brings a broad range of experience to WVXU-FM as the host of Cincinnati Edition, Cincinnati Public Radio's weekday news and information talk show.