NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Some 1,500 New Haven Public Schools students have not signed into any of their online classes during the first month of the school year. So, city and school leaders are rolling out a program that they hope will make it easy for many of them to reconnect with their respective schools.
The Coogan Pavilion, in Edgewood Park, has been designated as one of nine sites throughout the city that will become learning hubs, for students from first through ninth grades, beginning next week.
The goal of the New Havens learning hubs program is to focus on students who have encountered obstacles that make it difficult for them to engage in learning remotely.
"This idea was brought to us by a number of nonprofits in the city, who I think very much of, played the leadership role here," said Mayor Justin Elicker.
Each of the nine learning hubs will permit up to 20 students, placed in 10 person cohorts. Three of these facilities, complete with free breakfast and lunch, are open to the students from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. beginning Monday.
"Our goals are to facilitate children’s and youth distant learning needs including technical access, support, supplies, tools, and other components of academic engagement," said Gwendolyn Busch Williams, the new Director of the New Haven Youth and Recreation Department.
Students will be able to access the Internet through mobile hotspots provided at each site. And, should a student or staff member start to experience covered symptoms, each of these learning hubs will have an isolation room
"On the city side, I can say our goal is and we are working to fundraise for this to have this funded throughout the entire school year," Elicker said.
For now, $130,000 out of the city’s youth activities budget will be used to cover about half of the cost of the first 10 weeks of this program.
"I’m thankful that this is the first step that we are moving forward to make sure to make sure that no child goes without a quality education, no child goes without access to Internet and no child goes without technology," said Rev. Steven Cousin of the Greater New Haven Clergy Association.
If you would like to learn how to connect a family member to one of these learning hubs, log on here.
The city says they are modeling their program after one that was started in San Francisco.