Education for 1 Million
Homeless Children
"Any time you think you've got a rule, forget about it," says
Paul Cirioni, Massachusetts's coordinator of homeless education.
Recognizing that each situation is unique, Educating Homeless
Children (EDC) is finding ways to assist Cirioni and other
New England state coordinators who work to ensure adequate
schooling for the nation's estimated 1 million homeless children.
With a course called Online Genetics, a new interactive web
site, students can use genetics simulations to tinker with
a family's inherited traits or conduct DNA analyses on blood
samples collected from a crime scene.
New writing software is designed
for students with learning disabilities. That's what led
EDC researchers to develop "Draft:
Builder," a software tool designed to assist students
with organizing their thoughts, taking notes, and creating
a draft outline. "Draft: Builder" has been created,
adapted, and fine-tuned over many years and it's about to be
tested by students in New Jersey.
Researchers from EDC's Health and Human Development programs
have joined with colleagues in Botswana to develop prevention
education and materials, along with a national strategy to
address HIV/AIDS through schools.#