The Colorado statesman., 1914-04-04
FOR SOCIAL CENTER
Much Interest Manifested in
Wider Use of School Plants.
United States Bureau of Education Has
Obtained the Cooperation of the
Russell Sage Foundation In
Carrying Forward Movement.

Washington.-Uncle Sam is interest
ed in. the wider use of the public
school plant The social center idea
has taken such firm hold on the people
in many parts of the country that the
United States bureau of education has
asked for and obtained the ready CO.
operation of the Russell Sage founda-
tion in planning and carrying forward
the most extensive investigation yet
made in this country to obtain in
formation in regard to the use of
school houses and equipment for ac-
tivities and interests other than those
of ordinary school work. The only ex-
tensive studies of the social center
movement made up to the present
time have been carried on by the Rus
sell Sage foundation, working with
out government cooperation and
alone
Commissioner P. p Claxton of the
bureau of education has addressed
more than 300 letters to school su.
perintendents in practically all cities
and towns of more than 1000 popula-
tion, asking for a complete record of
all after-school uses of the buildings
for special purposes during the months
of February. March and April. These
blanks when filled out will be returned
to the bureau of education for use in
compiling what will be the most COM
plete report yet made of the progress
of the wider -use-of-the-school-plan
movement.
Clarence Arthur Perry, assistant di-
rector of the department of recreation
of the Russell Sage foundation, and
officers of the bureau of education
will be in charge of the cooperative
study. The object of the investigation
is to prepare for the American people
an accurate report on just how much
progress has been made in the use of
school buildings as civic centers and
to help show how the results of
program of effort in one school can
be compared with that of another city
and how the results of one administra-
tive plan compare with those obtained
by different system in another city.
Widespread interest in the evening
use of public school buildings for So
cial center activities is reported in all
parts of the country. Different cities
have different ideas of just what is a
social center In many places the
institution is not even known under
this name, being variously called rec
reation center" evening center" civ
ic CENTER community CENTER" and
other terms. The character of the uses
to which the schools are put varies a
great deal in many cities and also the
amount of use of the school. Some
cities open the schools six nights a
week for social center purposes, while
others restrict this use of the school
plan to once a week or several times
a month. In urging upon school su-
perintendents the need of a compre-
hensiye report on social center work
and comparison of results obtained,
Mr.. Perry says:
Evening occasions in public schools
are multiplying with great rapidity. In
their increase we see the school grad
ually developing new functions, a
closer and more direct relationship
with society. Like all other exhibit
tions of power. the new function
brings with it the universal admins
trative necessity of devising methods
of testing various expenditures of en-
ergy in the terms of the results OBJ
tanned. In a growing number of
school systems and in many buildings
within these systems efforts are con-
stantly put forth to arrange entertain
ments discussions and club activities.
Another problem connected with
the evening use of school edifices
arises out of the need, felt chiefly by
the promoters of the new movement,
of annually taking stock, estimating
progress and reporting achievements
to the public. In certain cities the
evening activities have crystallized
into an institution known as social
center or recreation center, and there
is both propagandist and an admin
istrauve need of being able to report
at intervals upon the number of these
'centers.' But the increase of miscel-
laneous occasions in school houses has
in recent years become so great and
30 general that 1t is now practically
impossible to say which buildings are
social centers' and which are not.
The difficulty here is largely due
to the fact that the school center has
not been described in terms so con-
crete and definite that it can serve as
criterion. Such a standard, to be
applicable as measuring unit, cannot
be set up arbitrarily, but must be
based upon usage and prevalent I'M
dertakings. and before one can be
formulated data which are both pre-
else and comparable must be obtained
regarding existing activities. The in
formation. however, which school Off
cials now have regarding their under
takings Of a social center character
is not only fragmentary, but usually
SO different from that possessed by
the officials of another city as to rem
der comparison impracticable