In years past, neighborhood
street corners
were places people met to
exchange the news of the
day. The Kingsborough
Corner is no exception. I
am excited to author this
monthly column where I
will share the latest and
greatest news to inform
and inspire you, and ignite
your curiosity about
happenings in the communities
around you.
Launching this inaugural
column in the month
when we celebrate mothers,
I credit my mother—
a former teacher and assistant
principal—for
sparking my interest and
subsequent career in education.
I am honored to
serve as Kingsborough
Community College’s
7th president.
I have vivid memories
of my mother setting
up her classroom
at the beginning of the
school year, and of her
outfitted in her cap and
gown on graduation day
as she received her college
degree. I also have
memories of the many
nights she would come
home late after taking
evening classes or those
times she would be gone
most of the day on Saturday
taking classes at
college. There are countless
people like my mom
who were able to make
the sacrifices needed to
obtain their degree; but
there are also countless
others who are unable to
pursue their educational
goals because they juggle
multiple responsibilities
and for whom going
to campus several times
a week is an impossible
task.
Fortunately, these
days there are more options
Caribbean L 42 ife, May 31–June 6, 2019 BQ
for adults pursuing
college degrees like high
quality, flexible, and
adult-oriented online degree
programs. If you’re
one, or know one, of the
nearly half a million
adults in Brooklyn who
have some college, but
no degree, and who may
have difficulty managing
a face-to-face schedule,
an online degree
program is for you.
You can find an online
program that will give
you a solid liberal arts
foundation and prepare
you for entry level employment
in a number of
careers such as a teaching
assistant, police officer,
paralegal, office
manager, or for transfer
to a four-year college.
Additionally, some are
designed so that you
can pursue an accelerated
pathway and complete
your degree in 18
months or less, and with
online advisors who will
be available to provide
you with the necessary
support for you to be successful.
If you started, but did
not finish your college
degree, then an online
degree program may be
just the program you
need. If you are looking
for a way to meet your
educational goals while
balancing your life and
family, today, you have
so many more affordable
and flexible options
than my mom did. Don’t
give up on your dream
of earning a college degree.
It’s more accessible
to you now than ever before.
Dr. Claudia V.
Schrader is president
of Kingsborough Community
College located
in beautiful Manhattan
Beach, Brooklyn and offers
the affordable, flexible,
high-quality KCC
Online Degree Program
in Liberal Arts.
Visit kbcc.cuny.edu/
kcconline or call (212)- K-
Online or (212) -566- 5463)
and get on board with
meeting your educational
goals.
BUS INES S , B ROOKLYN S T Y LE
The Kingsborough Corner
EDUCATION
Did you know 96 percent of teachers say that each
fall, students appear to have forgotten or lost
some of the knowledge or skills they learned
the previous school year?
But don’t worry, the good news is that 89% of parents
plan to continue some form of educational activities
with their children during the summer. Many
of these activities may be things you already do with
your children. And 92 percent of teachers agree that
students will be more successful overall if they keep
learning during the summer months.
What are the most enjoyable and successful ways
to help your children learn while they’re having fun
and enjoying their summer?
Here are fi ve ideas to keep your kids’ minds and
bodies active all summer, so they’ll be eager to pick
up where they left off when the new school year begins.
Plan fun fi eld trips
Take advantage of your community’s attractions,
museums or historical sites that offer wonderful
learning opportunities, as well as being really fun
outings the whole family can enjoy. Find interesting
locations to visit online, involving older children in
the search.
Use trips to the zoo, farm or museum as learning
opportunities by engaging your children in a little
pre-trip research, exploring the background of the
animals, artwork or history of the location beforehand
to get them excited.
Plan what you’ll do when you get there, and follow
up with a related activity after you get home.
Many family-friendly venues offer learning materials
and guides for schools and parents, so call or
check their website ahead of your trip!
Visit your public library
Most libraries offer summer reading programs to
encourage kids to read, as well as fun events for infants
through middle-schoolers. Older students love
choosing their own books and delving into reading
for pleasure that they may not have time for during
the school year.
And all reading helps children develop their vocabulary
and reading comprehension.
Invest in daily learning activities
Help your kids retain skills in math, reading and
language arts, as well as exploring science, social
studies, fi tness and character development with Carson
Dellosa Education’s Summer Bridge Activities
workbooks, available in paperback and as eBooks.
Just 15 minutes a day of fun, age-appropriate activities
and hands-on projects help children review
skills and knowledge learned the previous year.
Then the lessons transition into exploring exciting
new levels of learning to prepare them for the
coming school year. Summer Bridge Activities provide
recommended reading lists, plus handy fl ash
cards that are easy to use, even on the go, that engage
your child at their reading level and build their
self-esteem.
Designed for preschool through eighth grade and
aligned with state standards, these award-winning,
teacher-recommended workbooks include monthly
goal-setting to help children work toward a completion
certifi cate for a sense of accomplishment. Pages
are numbered for each day, making it easy for kids
to complete the activities on their own, with plenty
of time left in the day for play!
Involve the whole family
If one set of skills or area of knowledge you want
your child to develop is not your strong suit, enlist
help from a grandparent or other relative to spark
your child’s interest.
Often learning about hobbies or the career of
someone they know has more impact than just telling
them that math is useful in real life, for example.
Learning how to measure correctly to build a
treehouse with grandpa is a great — and practical —
lesson in using math skills. — BPT
Keep kids learning all summer
/kbcc.cuny.edu