The Community Science Workshop is an innovative science program sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation. It is a hands-on science project including: science museum, nature center, laboratory, classroom, wood shop, and art studio combined. The CSW is a place where students can learn about science concepts through fun and hands-on science explorations. The CSW philosophy is learning through doing; and a typical lesson might consist of students building a flashlight to learning about circuits and electricity. Safe and Smart After-School and Summer Camp students participate in CSW weekly. The CSW also serves as a site for field trips and collaborates with public and private schools across the New Orleans area to provide lab experiences during school hours; and it corresponds to Louisiana curriculum standards and benchmarks.
An excerpt of an article published on "After Words" an e-mail newsletter of the National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning, October 2007
You know you have a great afterschool science program when one thematic project teaches students about anatomy, the physics of sound, and the construction of musical instruments—all while exposing them to jazz and classical music. My House Center for Learning is a nonprofit organization that includes science activities as part of its afterschool offerings to New Orleans children. In the lesson described above, which is called “music in the air,” students listen to different types of music and are taught how to build their own musical instruments. They also learn about parts of the ear and how they hear things, the differences between pitch and sound and vibrations and frequencies, and the origins of different types of music.
The program is in an early stage of rebirth after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation literally forced My House to find a new home. “Although we have not returned to our original site, we are still trying to provide the same services on a smaller scale,” explains community science workshop director, Jeanna Barrett. These services include a wellness program that teaches students nutrition and fitness, a small flower garden, and exposure to career opportunities in science. As the program rebuilds, Barrett remains committed to keeping students engaged in science.