Education Lab: College bus passes, career programs and Ask the Ed Lab

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Hello, education readers.

Have you ever wondered about the history of your school? How about how a new law may affect your child’s education? Whatever your questions are, we want to answer them.

This morning we launched a new weekly column, “Ask the Ed Lab.” Our first question examined whether signing your kid up for free school lunch could affect your citizenship application. You can read all about it here.

Each week we will find the answers to a question related to education in the Central Valley.

Do you have an education question you’d like us to answer? Let us know! Contact the Ed Lab edlab@fresnobee.com.

This week in the Ed Lab

Getting to class is about to get harder

Last week, reporter Monica Velez reported on why it is about to get harder for hundreds of minority Fresno college students to get to class. You can read her story here.

Fresno/Clovis program shows interesting results

Monica also wrote about a 20-year-old joint program between Fresno and Clovis schools that continues to show promising results. The CART program aims to help students prepare for future careers. To learn more about the program be sure to read “Solving crimes, acing tests, building bridges. What this Fresno school program does right.”

Americorps comes to Fresno

Americorps swore in its first group of Fresno volunteers on Friday. The program is possible because of a $13.1 million investment from California Volunteers, a state office that aims to engage Californians in civic action and volunteering to address challenges in the state. To learn more, check out Ed Lab’s coverage here.

Engaging with our Spanish speaking communities

Last week, engagement reporter Isabel Dieppa appeared on Univision to discuss the Ed Lab and its Spanish-language survey. This is another form of engagement reporting and letting the community know who we are.

We want conduct listening sessions in Spanish-speaking communities.

You can check out her interview on Univision here, and if you want to contact her because you’d like a listening session in your community send her a message at edlab@fresnobee.com.

Education Lab has a Flipboard

If you want to keep up with all of the stories the Ed Lab is doing, be sure to follow us on Flipboard.

Also in the news

Paying for college through public service?

Our sister paper The Modesto Bee reported last week about a new experimental program that allows some students to fund their college education through public service. Two major Valley colleges are participating in the Civic Action Fellowship, Stanislaus State and UC Merced.

Fresno State was not invited to participate in the pilot program, but school officials say they might be interested if the opportunity opens up down the road.

Building homes for teachers

A California school district is using bonds to build affordable housing for employees. All “non-management staff” can apply to live within the units, the school district said. The housing will be offered below market rate.

The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab here.

This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 6:56 AM.