Sixth-graders at Andries Hudde Junior High School in Midwood, Brooklyn, are letting 3 p.m. fly by each day and staying around to beef-up their reading, shoot lay-ups and learn to dance.
These lucky kids---about 230 in all---are part of CAMBA ExTRA, one of 20 new extended-school-day programs citywide designed to bring struggling middle-school readers up to grade level. To help them get there, the school day has been extended by 2.5 hours to give the blossoming readers all the time they need.
CAMBA ExTRA is part of a citywide initiative called Middle School ExTRA, designed by The After-School Corporation and run in collaboration with Harvard Ed Labs the NYC Department of Education and the New York City Council.
The centerpiece of CAMBA ExTRA is students' daily literacy tutoring with retired professionals. But the kids also participate in a range of hands-on activities to develop their talents in the arts, sports and other academics. From basketball to dance to economics, the theme of literacy is woven throughout.
"In basketball, the team members keep a journal in which they reflect on their playing and set goals for their next practice," said Amanda Birdwell, Director of CAMBA ExTRA. "The kids in the Yoga Club also keep journals."
The theme of literacy is also taking students far and wide, like on a recent trip to the Main Branch of the New York Public Library in Midtown, Manhattan. The trip, to see a library exhibit on cartoon characters and superheroes, was made possible by the National Book Foundation's BookUp program.
"It's really great to be part of this new citywide initiative," said Christie Hodgkins, CAMBA Vice President of Youth Development. "It's also exciting to be so aligned with the school and the Department of Education."
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