Smryna's new superintendent, Dr. Susan Brown.

‘​​Be bold, be authentic, be kind’ says new Smyrna superintendent

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Delaware Live, Education

After spending more than three decades in a district of nearly 40,000 students, Dr. Susan Brown is moving on to her next professional endeavor as the new superintendent of Smyrna School District. “I did not get here alone,” Brown said. “I’ve had many people who had confidence in my abilities to both lead and treat other people exceptionally.”  The entirety …

At Tuesday's webinar, key officials will discuss where the nearly $640,000,000 in ESSER funds were distributed throughout Delaware's schools.

Webinar to focus on where COVID education money went

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Delaware Live, Education

First State Educate will host a school funding webinar Tuesday to discuss where the hundreds of millions of dollars in COVID-19 education relief funds went.  The federal government allocated $122 billion amongst the states in K-12 pandemic funds, and First State Educate wants the community to know where the money is going. Delaware received a total of $637,239,246 across three …

LYTE celebrated its 5th graduating class at Howard High.

LYTE celebrates its fifth class, 100% graduation rate

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Delaware Live, Education

Families and friends packed the historic Howard High School auditorium in Wilmington Friday to watch this year’s Leading Youth Through Empowerment scholars graduate from the five-year program. Leading Youth Through Empowerment, referred to as LYTE, is an organization aimed at increasing educational access for low-income students through personal mentoring, rigorous lessons, and leadership opportunities.  Students enroll during seventh grade and …

Delaware's Freedom Schools are likely to continue growing in upcoming years.

Freedom Schools likely to stay after successful first year

Jarek RutzDelaware Live, Education, Headlines

Fifty at-risk students, 25 from Capital and 25 from Caesar Rodney school districts, are continuing their schooling into the summer months, courtesy of newly implemented Freedom Schools. Sponsored by the Children’s Defense Fund, there are five key aspects of the freedom schools:  High-quality academic and character-building enrichment Parent and family involvement Civic engagement and social action Intergenerational servant leadership development …

The $3 million in grants will be used to strengthen and expand the art and culture scene in Delaware. (courtesy: Delaware Division of Art)

115 art groups granted $3 million in state funding

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Culture, Delaware Live, Milford-live

The Delaware Division of Arts has announced a $3 million distribution of grants to 115 community art organizations.  They range from $1,300 to Wilmington Wintergrass Inc., which is an annual bluegrass festival, to $246,000 to the Delaware Art Museum. The museum will use the funding to support its exhibits, including the upcoming Pre-Raphaelite show “A Marriage of Arts & Crafts: …

Teenagers at DelTech's science camp examine hair follicles to determine the fake killer.

‘Find the Killer’ in DelTech’s science camps

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Delaware Live, Education

Here’s one way to keep the attention of a class of teenage campers: designate one of them as a “killer” and the rest as prime suspects and make the class figure out whodunnit. That was the assignment this week in a Delaware Technical Community College summer science camp, which plays on the popularity of television’s many crime shows that focus …

Downtown Wilmington library (McGhiever photo from Wikimedia)

Wilmington Library snares another national award

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Culture, Delaware Live

Wilmington Library’s programming, which has included bringing Dennis Rodman and Angela Davis in as speakers, helped it win the highest award for libraries in America. The Institute of Museum and Library Services selected the Wilmington Library along with five others across the country to receive the 2022 Museum and Library Service National Medal. There were two other libraries receiving medals …

Brandywine, Christina, and Red Clay will all vote on whether to join the Wilmington Learning Collaborative at their August school board meetings.

Brandywine board divided on joining Learning Collaborative

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Delaware Live, Education

The Brandywine School District Board is divided on whether or not to join the Wilmington Learning Collaborative.  At its meeting Monday night, several members of the board expressed concern about finances and obligations.  The board announced it is continuing to negotiate with the governor’s office, that it will hold a town hall before its Aug. 15 meeting, during which it …

Camp Lenape has been giving people with orthopedic disorders a summer community since 1972.

Camp Lenape: A family of fun for orthopedically disabled

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Delaware Live, Education

Along Route 12 is a small white cottage with a flag attached to a post on the porch, reading “bloom where you are planted.” Step inside to find campers doing arts and crafts, jamming on instruments, and, most importantly, cannonballing into the pool outside.  Camp Lenape, created in 1972, is a six-week camp running from July to the middle of …

Red Clay, Christina and Brandywine school boards are getting their first debriefing of the Wilmington Learning Collaborative's draft agreement before voting whether to commit.

Wilmington Learning Collaborative: Who will sign on first?

Jarek RutzDelaware Live, Education, Headlines

Red Clay Consolidated School District may become the first district to vote on the agreement that would formally set up the Wilmington Learning Collaborative. Both Red Clay and Christina district boards had a synopsis of the 16-page draft agreement read to them Tuesday night. Both agreed to consider the issue in their next meeting. Christina will meet Aug. 9, but …