Cumberland Youth Mapping gets a boost from CLEF and URI

At its last board meeting, CLEF voted to support a new “Youth Mapping” program created by the OCYL.  Youth Mapping involves teaching young people how to collect data in their community using handheld Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) trackers and then use that data to make multi-layered interactive digital maps (known as GIS maps) that include icons, photos and video.

The program has begun with two Environmental Science classes at Cumberland High School. CHS teachers Kathy DiModica and Mike Parisol have led the way to make this project successful.  And the University of Rhode Island came through in a big way, providing a graduate student to train youth and their teachers in GIS while also providing a lab to do the work.

 URI has released a story about it here:

http://cels.uri.edu/news/nGISstudents.html

CLEF decided to grant funds for GPS trackers and a small lab so that students can work on their GIS projects after school at the OCYL offices.  And now we hear that Brown University has decided to lend their support to the project.  Very exciting developments in Cumberland.

The Mayoral Academy plan

Six months ago CLEF began raising funds for a study and action plan on Rhode Island public education commissioned by Mayor Daniel McKee and other mayors and town administrators in the Coalition of Communities Improving Rhode Island. We raised nearly $40,000 to support the plan. Public Impact, a nationally recognized education research and consulting organization, created the plan. Founder Bryan Hassel, a Harvard PhD and former Rhodes Scholar led the effort along with Brown University education professor Martin West. The report calls on Mayors to be the driving force behind new, high-performing, regional public schools that both contain cost and dramatically raise student achievement. You can read the study and plan here:

Public Impact’s “Boosting Performance & Containing Costs Through Mayoral Academies”

The Rhode Island General Assembly is currently considering legislation (H7874) that would authorize the key components of the Mayoral Academy plan.

Here is a three part video of the December press conference announcing the plan (Mayor Daniel J. McKee, Dr. Michael Magee and Dr. Bryan Hassel respectively):

CLEF Supports the OCYL

CLEF is a proud supporter of many programs and initiatives of the Cumberland Office of ChildrenYouth and Learning. This video describes the OCYL’s highly successful first year in existence.