There’s something very cool, quietly going on in the city of Dallas. It’s a pilot program creating a citywide learning laboratory. This laboratory of specialized experiences are tailored for young people on summer break and are part of a national Cities of Learning movement. Dubbed the “City of Learning program,” it was initially launched in Chicago last summer, and now Dallas joins it’s sister cities including Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Columbus and Washington D.C. to offer these unique opportunities to our city’s youth.
The free social learning experiences are offered in a variety of topics (aviation, spoken word, art, etc.) and encourage kids to explore a variety of topics while hanging out with friends, and even earning achievement badges. With nearly 1,000 events slated, it’s how our Dallas Mayor Rawlings makes a strong statement that learning shouldn’t end when school does. In fact, studies show that by the 6th grade, kids from lower income families have missed out on 6,000 hours of out-of-school learning experiences compared to their middle-income peers. Dallas City of Learning helps close that gap.
Kids participating in the programs can learn about electricity by playing with Snap Circuits, building creations that light up, spin, fly and make sounds — or they can go on a gallery tour and visit the Pop-Up Art Spot cart. They can even be a cast member in a play or try their hand a creating a tie-dye shirt. And those are all free options!
Dallas City of Learning programs are tailored towards students aged 5 – 18, but actually anyone can participate. By building a pathway based on the participant’s interest, kids are able to go deeper into related educational experiences that cross multiple partner organizations that include notables such as Mozilla, Accenture, Perot Museum, Dallas Zoo and so, so many more..
“Education is the most important issue of the 21st century, and it makes sense to put every resource behind it,” says Dallas Mayor Rawlings. The City of Learning program creates opportunities for young people to discover new interests, develop professional skills, and provides them with continuous learning even when school is out by offering specialized learning that young people who may not otherwise have access to out-of-school enrichment.”
Programs run through August 25th, but will pick up again next year with additional partners, programs and “badging pathways.” The first free “Turn Up” event is happening this Sunday at the Continental Bridge Opening from 2 – 4 p.m. There’ll be music, hands on community arts projects, making kites and more. Additional information about that event and others to follow HERE.
To learn more about what’s offered through the City of Learning program, visit the website www.dallascityoflearning.org. Many of the events are free summer activities for kids and teens to explore.
It’s initiatives like this that make Dallas such an awesome place to live. Don’t you love our city?
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