Parent Selinda Rivas, turn-keyed the training she had received to other parents. Staff Developer Eileen Eisenberg has participated in the planning, finding or purchasing of materials, and allowing time for teachers who were not original participants to meet with the PS team to plan together for the program's implementation. Team members meet regularly to plan for the PS science activities, and to connect the activities to math and literacy. At PS 26 in District 26, the Building with Wonderful Junk activity sparked a discussion about girls and science between kindergarten teacher Arlene Bogart and parents who were volunteering in the class. Girls who don't tend to select the block area must be encouraged to do so, and need building experiences to develop these skills.
Parents have a new understanding of the importance of building activities for all students.
She encourages students to visit all the centers each week. The activity was well received and participants especially enjoyed the hands-on nature of the experience. Jessica and Lucia will be doing additional staff development. They were also very excited by the language that the children in their bilingual kindergarten generated as a result of doing the PS activities. Children were also excited by the hands-on nature of the activities.