Teacher Turns Laundry Into Learning Time

[Rose Siding]

NEW YORK -- It used to bug Georgina Smith every time she drove by the Clean Rite Center laundromat in one of Brooklyn's tougher neighborhoods. She'd look inside and see children -- lots of them -- sitting around, playing video games or watching TV.

Not once did Smith ever see one of them with a book.

"I thought there's got to be something better for these kids to do," Smith said, recalling those drives.

So the science teacher decided she would get them to read. What she came up with is an innovative program at the laundry fittingly called "Wash and Learn."

It started out as Smith's master's thesis at Brooklyn College's School of Education, and picked up speed last spring when she managed to get Clean Rite officials to donate $12,000 for books, supplies and general expenses.
........
And for the laundry's owners, the program is good corporate citizenship.

"You know how busy our lives are and you always have to do chores," said Clean Rite's John Hayes. "That we can help create an atmosphere where parents can get that done and their kids can learn something is a perfect fit for us."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-wash-and-learn,0,5845841.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[teach1st]

1. Awesome...

Hats off to Georgina Smith.

[grilled onions]

2. An added Bonus

Kids reading(or in general kept busy) are less likely to vandalize or make a mess for others. Secondly some very busy mothers may get a quality minute with offspring during the "rinse cycle". This sort of program should be an obvious one at train stations,airports. I don't travel so this may already be the case but I do go to doctors waiting rooms and I never see a parent trying to amuse a child there. They usually have a "playroom" were books are way down on the list of amusements much to the dismay of the sick and those worrying about how they are going to pay for yet another doctors office call!