Free lunches from DPS
Durham Public Schools will continue to distribute a week’s supply of breakfasts and reheatable meals that can be picked up on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 12:30pm at the following schools (your child doesn’t have to be a DPS student):
Here are some additional spots you can can go to (Monday–Friday) to pick up lunches for your kids:
Click here if you want to see the list of apartment complexes that are also served by the Durham Public Schools’ free lunch program. If you’re unable to pick up meals due to disability or other reason(s), you can sign up for weekly food deliveries via EAT NC. Click here for more info and to register. Free lunches from Durham County
Through Durham County’s EAT NC program, the Durham County Department of Public Health is providing hot lunches for young people ages 18 and under on weekdays from 11am to 12:30pm at 18 schools throughout the city. When you pick up your child’s lunch, you’ll also get a cold breakfast for the next day. Friday pickups will include meals for the weekend. EAT NC also has a home-delivery service for families that can’t get out to pick up meals personally.
Here are the 18 schools (your child doesn’t have to attend a Durham Public School):
DPS magnet/CTE lottery
Durham Public Schools will host a webinar, The DPS Magnet/CTE* Lottery Application Process Explained, on Wednesday, January 6, 6–7pm. Learn how the lottery works for getting your child into one of Durham Public Schools’ magnet programs. Click here to watch. The English workshop will start at 6 and the Spanish workshop will start at 6:30. * CTE = career technology education.
DPS’s reopening plan
If COVID-19 can somehow be reduced to a community spread of less than 4% for two straight weeks, Durham Public Schools will be able to welcome students back to school as early as Thursday, January 21. Ideally, pre-k and elementary students will attend school two days per week and learn at home the other three weekdays. Middle- and high school students will continue to learn at home. Parents/guardians who prefer to keep their kids home for continued virtual learning can do so.
Click here for detailed descriptions on how the reopening would proceed. You can also click here for more info and to fill out the Learning Preferences form by the Friday, December 18 deadline (letting DPS know what you want to do). (Click here for Spanish.) Prepare for the future with Durham Tech
Here are a few free, online information sessions you can attend to help you figure out what courses to take that will lead directly to jobs in growing professions/industries:
Durham Technical Community College will host an Opticianry Program Information Session on Friday, January 8, 2–3pm. Learn about Durham Tech’s two opticianry programs (certificate and degree) and about the responsibilities of opticians in the eyecare profession. Click here for more info and click here to register for this free, online talk.
Durham Technical Community College will host a Respiratory Therapy Information Session on Tuesday, January 12, noon–1pm. Learn about different areas in the practice of respiratory therapy and also about the job market in that field. Click here for more info, and contact Janemarie Baker at bakerj@durhamtech.edu to sign up for this free, online talk.
Durham Technical Community College will host a Nursing Information Session on Tuesday, January 12, 1–3pm. Learn about the various levels of nursing, the job market in the field, and the admissions requirements for the nursing programs at Durham Tech. Click here for more info, and click here to sign up for this free, online talk.
Durham Tech offers class for future electrical line technicians
Durham Technical Community College acts as a safety net by providing training that leads directly to jobs. Short-term courses in the Durham Tech Back-to-Work Initiative can arm students with the skills they need to get new jobs and get a start in a profession in a growing industry.
You might qualify for a GEER (Governor’s Emergency Education Relief) Scholarship, which can provide up to $750 or the cost of the course (whichever is more). Upcoming courses are available in these areas: BioPharma Lab Skills, Carpentry, Community Health Worker, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, HVAC (Heating and Cooling), Mental Health Technician, Nurse Aide, Information Technology, Natural Hair Care, Peer Support Specialist, and Phlebotomy. Click here to learn more about the Durham Tech Back-to-Work Initiative, and click here for more info about GEER Scholarships. Act now—classes start the second week of January. Durham Tech is located at 1637 Lawson St and is served by GoDurham #8. DAE listening session
Here’s a replay of December 15’s educator/student/family listening session. Visit their Facebook page for more info, and click here to let them know how you feel about Durham Public Schools’ reopening plan. (The survey is in both English and Spanish.)
DPS Family Academy
Durham Public Schools’ Family Academy helps parents, grandparents, etc keep up with technology and learn other tips and tricks for guiding their children to success. The online workshops are free and offered in English and Spanish. Here’s the full schedule; click here to attend the workshops.
Upward Bound program
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites 9th- and 10th-graders from Durham, Chatham, and Lee counties to sign up for Upward Bound, a free college-preparation program. Getting into and staying in college/university takes work, and Upward Bound helps low-wealth students build the skills and motivation to succeed and to pursue a Bachelor’s degree. Southern and Hillside are the targeted high schools for this program, but parents/guardians of students from other schools are also encouraged to apply. Click here for more info and to apply; there’s a link on the homepage for reading about the program in Spanish. Upward Bound is a federal program and operates out of UNC’s Carolina Higher Education Opportunities Programs (CHEOP) office. Please submit your application by the March 1 deadline.
Duke Homestead online classes
The folks at the Duke Homestead State Historic Site has developed a collection of virtual education programs. Instructors can add these lessons to their curriculum, which should add a nice connection to local history and culture. Live interaction will be available with Duke Homestead staff as a way to get questions answered and keep the presentation(s) fresh.
Here are the classes on offer:
Click here for more info. Vocabulary expansion
Writer and writing coach Beverly Mahone invites middle- and high school students who want help with building their vocabularies by joining her Word Up program on her Communicate with Beverly Facebook page.
Science adventures
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will host a Who’s That Singing? Learn Common Bird Songs ecoEXPLORE citizen science program on Tuesday, January 5, 3–4pm. Students from kindergarten through 8th grade are invited to learn how to identify local birds by their songs. Click here to register and attend this free online event.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will host a Bird Migrations ecoEXPLORE citizen science program on Thursday, January 14, 3–4pm. Students from kindergarten through 8th grade are invited to learn about birds’ amazing travels from place to place. Click here to register and attend this free online event. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will host a 70,000 Swans-a-Swimming ecoEXPLORE citizen science program on Wednesday, January 20, 4–5pm. Students from kindergarten through 8th grade are invited to learn about the waterfowl population at Lake Pungo and also how to earn their Duck Badges. Click here to register and attend this free online event. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will host a Bird Quizlet ecoEXPLORE citizen science program on Wednesday, January 27, 4–5pm. Students from kindergarten through 8th grade are invited to join in and test their knowledge of birds. Click here to register and attend this free online event. DPS Family Academy webinar replays
If you missed any of the Durham public Schools Family Academy online workshops, you can always visit the page that houses them. Click on the logo below to go to the webinar page and watch as many videos as you like (in English and Spanish).
Teach at Home / Enseña desde Casa
Google, in partnership with UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), and the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, presents Teach at Home, a comprehensive educational resource for those looking for tools and tips for keeping kids interested in learning. There are three categories: Teachers, Schools, and Families, and each offers tools for teaching. Learn how to use livestreaming and video calls to hold classes; how to use Socratic, a learning app for students on the high school and college/university levels; how to identify learning resources for young people with disabilities, and lots more. There is an incredible amount of ideas, resources, and solutions for at-home learning. Click here to get started; Click here to view the Enseña desde Casa website in Spanish.
NCLearn @ Home
NCLearn @ Home is a gathering place put together by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources that taps into the expertise and programming of local museums and educational organizations. Teachers, families, and students are invited to explore the website and dive into the lessons and programming offered by the State Library, State Archive Collections, NC Museum of Art, NC Museum of History, NC Symphony, NC Zoo, and more. Click here to get started.
Edu-informational podcast
After a summer break, this popular podcast returns in September. Get loads of information on various school-related topics by listening to the Center for Family Engagement’s podcast, “Notes from the Backpack.” Click here for more info and to see a list of podcasts to choose from.
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