A mayor’s case to support the awkward years
New York City’s new mayor, Bill de Blasio, wants to offer after-school programs to all 200,000-plus middle school kids here. To that, you might ask, why middle school? Why not elementary or high? In an ideal world, of course, every child of every age would have a constructive way to spend the time between class […]
Hey, kid! How do I get (and keep) your attention?
Much can be said about the lack of access to enrichment opportunities for youth growing up in urban, high-poverty neighborhoods. But what about all those after-school programs that few kids bother to attend, or that never get off the ground to begin with? Anyone who knows a tween––of any economic bracket––knows how hard it is […]
Anatomy of a 6,000-hour deficit
As we recently reported, by the time a child from a low-income family reaches sixth grade, he or she has spent an estimated 6,000 fewer hours learning than a peer from a wealthy household. How did researchers come up with 6,000 hours? At a Halloween morning conference at the Ford Foundation (one of our funders […]
How to close the “opportunity gap?” Let’s find out
In 2006, researchers at Johns Hopkins University drew an important conclusion after a quarter-century following rich and poor students in Baltimore from childhood to adulthood. The summer, they said, is a major reason students from low-income families are continually playing catch-up with their wealthier peers. Affluent children stay academically engaged during enriching summer camps, museum excursions […]
