The Public Education Foundation and WTCI-PBS, in partnership with the City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County Schools and the Remake Learning Network will host CHA Learning Days, May 11-18. Chattanooga’s effort will be one of nine national expansion sites for the Remake Learning Days Across America initiative. CHA Learning Days features nearly 200 hands-on learning activities for students and families across Hamilton County. The goal is to provide opportunities for the community to participate in educational experiences through fun and engaging activities designed by a diverse group of stakeholders in the region.
The local celebration highlights innovative learning opportunities across the community.
The opportunities include a wide variety of activities designed for all ages. Notably, on May 11, WTCI-PBS will host a Summer Learning Celebration with games and activities for the whole family. May 15-16, STEM School Chattanooga will host the STEM Jubilee which will bring approximately 4,000 elementary students to their campus to engage in rich learning experiences ranging from robotics to tele-microscopy. Additionally, on May 18, Gig City Girls, a venture launched through PEF’s Teacherpreneur Incubator last fall, will host a girls-only coding event led by three Hamilton County teachers who have developed coding clubs for girls at their schools.
CHA Learning Days is led locally by Michael Stone, director of Innovating Learning for the Public Education Foundation, and Jennifer Crutchfield, director of Public Relations, Community Engagement and Education for WTCI-PBS. “We’re thrilled to join regions like Chicago and Pittsburgh to become among the first to host Remake Learning Days Across America,” said Mr. Stone. “The country is taking note of the positive momentum building in our community and we are excited to have the opportunity to showcase the collaborative efforts in Hamilton County. We encourage families to come out for at least one event in their neighborhood and experience this celebration of learning.”
“The Chattanooga community has worked purposefully to build optimism and hope by creating opportunities to support every child toward success in school. As the Tennessee Valley’s PBS station and a part of America’s largest classroom, our team is proud to help host this initiative in our region.” said Paul Grove, president and CEO for WTCI-PBS. “We hope that these exciting community events will help introduce families to the wealth of opportunities in our city to learn and grow together and we are grateful for the support locally of First Tennessee Bank and Thompson Engineering in this initiative.”
In 2016, the Remake Learning network launched Remake Learning Days in Southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia in response to the need to provide opportunities for parents to connect with the new, innovative learning happening in kids’ classrooms. In addition, the network wanted to bring these opportunities to a broader range of audiences.
“Remake Learning Days Across America has a bold premise: give more students and their families access to engaging, relevant and equitable learning experiences,” said Gregg Behr, executive director of The Grable Foundation, one of the co-chairs of Remake Learning and a funding partner. “Make this the norm, not the exception, and create a genuine movement of educators, parents, and students that desire more real-world learning experiences that prepare youth from all backgrounds and all neighborhoods for our rapidly changing world.” All CHA Remake Learning Days events can be found at the Remake Learning Days
website. While many have unlimited capacity, some have registration limits, so parents, students and caregivers are encouraged to sign up now. The national Remake Learning Days Across America effort is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Grable Foundation and Schmidt Futures. Remake Learning, PBS Kids and Digital Promise are national co-hosts in the effort.
“This support across the country is in response to demand from other regions hoping to deepen work in parent and family engagement across many institutions, based on a model which began in Pittsburgh,” said Sunanna Chand, executive director of Remake Learning. “With so many organizations, parents, and communities participating, we hope to ignite a national conversation around the future of learning and increase the demand for engaging and equitable hands-on experiences across all the spaces kids learn.”
CHA Remake Learning Days - Notable Events
May 11 - Summer Learning Celebration at WTCI WTCI-TV will host a kickoff event inviting children and their families to enjoy science experiments, iPad/tablet games, storytelling, meeting PBS KIDS mascots, and more. There will be a scavenger hunt and science-themed obstacle course, and families can learn about summer camps, programs, and other enrichment activities.
May 11 - Wayne-O-Rama & John Ross: Interactive History Blended Lesson This lesson integrates media and technology literacy to discuss westward migration and the Trail of Tears to develop an understanding of the role of the Cherokee in American history. Children will use a timeline and map exercise to better understand the region’s timeline and history, as well as the impact of the Trail of Tears and establishment of the city of Chattanooga.
May 17 - STEM School Chattanooga Jubilee Tour
The largest school-based STEM event in the history of Tennessee, the event will include more than 95 lessons and activities over two days at Chattanooga State Community College. Adults can register for a tour to see student experiences, including robotics, drones, air cannons, bubbles and microscopes.
May 18 - Chattanooga Zine Fest The Chattanooga Public Library will host this festival of independently produced books and magazines. Events will include a youth zine making area with a variety of materials and resources for attendees to create their own zine. The teen department will also have a booth for participants to sell and promote their creations.
May 18 - Gig City Girls Coding Teacherpreneurs in Hamilton County Schools will host a girls only K-12 coding event at The Edney Innovation Center. The goal is to create opportunities for girls to develop and hone their problem solving skills and boost their self confidence