I will be releasing my proposed budget for 2007 on Monday. Among the initiatives will be a new SAT/college preparation camp during the last 3 weeks of the summer and a BizCamp for six weeks.
The SAT/college preparation camp will provide high school students with a grade free course to prepare for the verbal and math portions of the SAT. The course is designed to provide information about the current format of the SAT and to instruct students in test taking techniques to help them realize their full potential.
The college prep component of the camp will teach students how to get into college and will provide instruction on all parts of the college admissions process. There will be tutoring on preparing for college admissions essays; college admissions guidance; which schools to apply to; how the process works; funding and financing their education and mock interviews.
Some communities around the nation have offered students the opportunity to enroll in BizCamps. The proposed budget includes funding for Greenburgh's first BizCamp. They will learn how to think critically about businesses. They will develop a business plan that brings the learning to the practical. Students will also have the chance to earn money on some of their busienss ideas through trading games and exercises.
This camp will work with the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. We are working in cooperation with Westchester Community College for the SAT/college prep program.
Tution for the SAT camp will be $450. Campers who meet certain income criteria will be eligible for full tuition. The BizCamp tuition will be $600, with 10 students eligible for full or partial tuition, based on income.
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12 comments:
Who will be eligible? Children from all of Greenburgh or just unincorporated Greenburgh?
what budget will this be charged to?
Town entire or TOV??
The proposed budget includes this in the B fund- unincorporated Greenburgh. Only residents of unincorporated Greenburgh are eligible to participate in the program, which is partially subsidized with taxes from unincorporated Greenburgh. However..our committee felt that if there are available slots open we will open the program up to village residents -- provided that the village resident reimburse the town for 100% of the costs of providing the program to the village resident.If the villages want to opt into the program - we could consider making this an A funded (village and unincorporated program).
I like both ideas very much.
But both are waaaaaay beyond the realm of municipal government, especially since meeting baseline services is already so difficult for the Town.
The two programs need to be managed by the two school systems - perhaps Edgemont doing the BizCamp and Greenburgh doing the academic camp. Town government in such matters should be limited to offering some funding - that's it.
Also, contracting out to Westchester RISE, founded by Sonja Brown, District Family Outreach and Information Coordinator for the Greenburgh school system, likely poses a contractural ethics/conflict of interest issue.
Again, I think both camp ideas are wonderful, and it's very nice that the Supervisor is supporting such opportunities. But the implementation and management of such ventures should be kept far far away from Town government, and placed solely in the hands of professional educators and education administrators. Fortunately, Greenburgh and Edgemont school systems have many talented, experienced personnel to undertake these summertime ventures.
P.S. In many ways it's nice to have a Supervisor with vision. But the primary focus of Town government needs be on:
- basic roadway maintenance ... so many neglected and increasingly embarrassing areas in unincorporated Greenburgh
- taxes and contracts and other fiscal affairs
- sanitation ... including leaf pick-up
- big-picture zoning and commercial development ... visionary leadership definitely needed
Just as library matters should be solely handled by the WLS and the GPL Board, academic ideas such as these should be placed in the capable hands of our two education districts.
These comments are ridiculous! Why should anyone object to any town initiative that will help our kids?
I'm shocked. This is a great idea. Last week some bloggers tried to imply that Supervisor Feiner was anti Edgemont schools. This was obviously not true. Now, Feiner is being criticized for initiating a proposal to provide Edgemont students with a terrific SAT and college prep course and a BizCamp. Can't Feiner ever do anything right?
When can I enroll my daughter in the program? This is fantastic!
Is this open to only students from edgemont and central 7. What about East Irvington? East Irvington is part of unincorporated Greenburgh.
It's a wonderful idea, and I hope it happens. But it's wiser to have it managed by the school systems, not the town government.
It may be wiser for the schools to offer this service. Unfortunately, the schools have not offered this innovative program for our kids. We should be thankful that Supervisor Feiner has proposed this initiative. Who will benefit? Our kids.
This camp is a great idea. This is the kind of innovative program we need more of. Makes Greenburgh very special.
The SAT Prep camp and BizCamp should be approved by the Town Board. Maybe this should be a joint town/school program.
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