District 33C’s after-school enrichment program has a new name and expanded focus.

Homer CCSD 33C
Goodings Grove   Luther J. Schilling   William E. Young   William J. Butler
Hadley Middle   Homer Jr. High
 
Contact: Charla Brautigam, Communications/Public Relations Manager
cbrautigam@homerschools.org | 708-226-7628
 
 
 
For Immediate Release:
Nov. 19, 2015
 
Homer 33C “STEAMs” ahead with Explorers
 
Homer School District 33C’s after-school enrichment program has a new name and expanded focus.
 
EXPLORERS, which has been challenging Homer 33C students to delve further into math, science and art with after-school activities for 13 years, will now include technology and engineering in the mix — reflecting the district’s new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) initiative.
 
“Every year, we have adapted and changed,” said EXPLORERS program Coordinator Karen Norville. “This year, we’ve aligned our workshops and logo to reflect the district’s STEAM program.”
 
STEAM AHEAD WITH EXPLORERS offers unique learning experiences to help Homer 33C students become Future Ready Students for the 2st Century.
 
“We offer intense, kinesthetic learning in small class sizes,” said Norville. “Each workshop is taught by professionals in their field.”
 
Science workshops have included lessons in matter, physics and nuclear science.
Technology lessons have explored ecobots, bits and binary and JavaScript.
Engineering workshops have challenged students to build bridges and ecobots.
Art workshops have exposed students to the Fine Arts of watercolors and pastels as well as the English and Language Arts of Shakespeare and storytelling through comics.
 Math workshops have included learning experiences in fractions, geometry and polydrons.
 
Students pay a nominal fee (about $20) to participate in each after-school workshop. The participation fee covers the cost of the presenter’s fee as well as the teacher/monitor, said Norville.
 
“The program has been very well received,” she added.
 
The after-school enrichment program was launched in 2002 when the district’s gifted program was temporarily discontinued (due to budget constraints). But even after the district was able to bring back its gifted program, the EXPLORERS program continued because it had become so popular with students and their parents, said Norville.
 
“It has been running beautifully,” agreed Superintendent Kara Coglianese, “and complements our Preparing Future Ready Students initiative perfectly.”
 
Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homer33c?fref=ts&ref=br_tf