Learning Happens Anytime, Anywhere!
As dropout rates across the country continue to rise, the number one reason most high school students give for dropping out is that they don’t feel connected to or engaged by their education and they don’t see their education connecting them to jobs or other opportunities after high school.
Building on the success of the AfterZone and a belief that learning happens anytime, anywhere, PASA and its partners including the Providence Public School District, created an after-school system for high school youth called the Hub. The Hub builds upon the AfterZone by ensuring that the benefits of a coordinated system of enriching after-school expanded learning opportunities don’t end when middle school students leave 8th grade.The Hub works with Providence public high schools and local community partners to provide high school students across the city with high-quality expanded learning opportunities (ELOs). ELOs not only garner students credit towards graduation, but provide flexible hands-on learning activities grounded in relevant, real world skills and professional experience.
The Hub’s ELO community partners provide students with both school-based and off-campus learning experiences in civic leadership, art and design, health and wellness, and hands-on STEM. Students post weekly project updates via blogs and videos on the Hub’s specially-developed online site. The weekly posts build on the students’ portfolios in preparation for final demonstrations made before panels consisting of teachers, community and business leaders, parents, and other learning professionals. Importantly, Providence high school youth are having a blast getting ready for 21st Century careers.
Though ELOs only began being offered in 2012, over 150 students have already recieved course credit for their out-of-school time experiences. Currently, ELOs are offered for students at the Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex, Dr. Jorge Alvarez, E-Cubed Academy, and selected CTE-related schools, but they’ll be coming to additional Providence high schools in the coming year!
Interested in providing an ELO? See the “Run a Program” section of this site. To see high school students learning anytime, anywhere through The Hub’s ELOs check out www.hubprov.com!
