City of Orlando Launches “Learning Pods” at Neighborhood Centers
Last updated on August 07, 2020
The City of Orlando Launches Small Group “Learning Pods” at Neighborhood Centers to Support Families and Children During Virtual Learning
WHAT:
Nationally, as many cities across the country work out plans for students to return to school, the concept of “homeschooling pods” has grown. These are typically formed by groups of neighbors or families, who join together a small number of their children and share the cost to hire and pay for a teacher to teach their “pod” exclusively.
Because these programs can provide an additional level of safety for schooling, the City of Orlando is launching a program to expand this type of learning in a more affordable way to further support more of Orlando’s working families and enhance student learning experiences.
The City of Orlando “Learning Pods” will begin Monday, August 10th and be offered at six city neighborhood centers to provide an out-of-home space for students to complete their studies and provide accessibility to Wi-Fi and computer labs for students to access Orange County Public School’s LaunchEd program.
The pods will be limited to nine students with two pods at each neighborhood center to allow for safe social distancing practices. City staff will be on-site for additional academic support.
As with the City of Orlando Small Group Summer Camp program, City of Orlando staff received training on guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and the Florida Department of Children and Families to operate safely during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Per these guidelines, the City is continuing the following health and safety protocols:
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Children will be kept in the same small groups throughout the duration of program.
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Each group will be in a separate room and will not interact with other groups.
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Cleaning and disinfecting efforts have been increased.
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Drop off and pick up procedures will take place outside the facilities and will include screening questions and temperature checks per the Florida Department of Children and Families guidelines.
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Engelwood Neighborhood Center, 6123 La Costa Drive
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Northwest Neighborhood Center, 3955 WD Judge Drive
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John H. Jackson Neighborhood Center, 1002 West Carter Street
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Downtown Recreation Complex, 363 North Parramore Avenue
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Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center, 1723 Bruton Boulevard
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Rosemont Neighborhood Center, 4872 Rose Bay Drive