The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, City Schools have doubled the amount of time schools are open without raising taxes. Instead of going home to empty houses, kids participate in an extended school program offering over 100 courses in recreation, academics, arts, and life skills. Parents and organizations foot the costs; no child is excluded for…

Describes a Houston, Texas, school superintendent's effort to establish a shelter for homeless and unattended children. The project, depending on support from community agencies and featuring a modest budget, received board approval through June 1989. (MLH)

In 1999, two schools in an impoverished border town in Texas received 3-year federal grants from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program to support varied after-hours activities: academic tutoring, computer literacy, "ballet folklorico," arts and crafts, guitar instruction, and service learning. Students and parents now have a safe…

Built around such themes as nature, cooking, and community involvement, after-school programs help students make powerful connections and ask big questions. Theme-based programming is most successful when staff members listen, observe, and acknowledge experiences that excite and motivate the students. Kids also love clubhouses and pressrooms. (MLH)