Mayor Cherelle Parker and Superintendent Dr. Tony Watlington visited South Philadelphia’s Southwark Elementary School to update families on the Extended Day, Extended Year pilot initiative.
The program was launched last month across 20 district-run schools and five charter schools in the city.
“These students have the opportunity to explore new interests and discover new passions that will keep them engaged in the classroom, boosting their chances for success,” Parker said. “Not only does Extended Day, Extended Year help close the opportunity gap, it also supports working parents by aligning school hours with a typical workday, creating greater economic opportunity for parents.”
The visit to the 9th Street school brought news that the program has also nearly doubled the seats available in after-school care programs, increasing from 1,435 to 2,555. The Parker administration and the school district jointly fund this Extended Day/Extended Year program. The district has allocated $24 million to launch ED/EY for the 20 district schools.
“As a caregiver to my younger sister, high-quality before- and after-school programming has been so beneficial to us,” said Brianna Morales, whose sister is a Southwark fourth-grader. “Not only does it provide a safe environment outside of school hours that supports my work schedules, but it also has supported my sister in her emotional growth and development and building lifelong friendships with a diverse group of students and meet new mentors between school and before- and after-school staff.”
In addition to Southwark, South Philly schools taking part in the pilot program are Vare-Washington Elementary School and George W. Childs Elementary School.
Pilot schools will also be open for up to 2,000 students during winter and spring breaks, and for six weeks in the summer. Extended Day, Extended Year schools will be open Dec. 23, 26, 27, 30 and Jan. 2 for the winter session, and April 14-17 for spring. Summer session dates are to be determined.
“The Extended Day, Extended Year initiative will afford Southwark students and families the opportunity for additional programming that will have a positive impact on their school-day success,” said Southwark Principal Andrew Lukov. “More families now have access to before- and after-school programs that provide their children with an array of enriching activities, such as arts, athletics and STEM.”
School officials toured the Southwark School including stops at a robotics workshop and a media lab where students learn radio production.
“The School District of Philadelphia is honored to partner with Mayor Parker, the Mayor’s Office of Education, the Office of Children and Families and our unions in launching the Extended Day and Extended Year pilot schools to create new opportunities for our students and school communities,” Watlington said. “As schools are a safe haven for our students, this program is also a great benefit to our working families.”
