GJSD launches the Johnstown Learning Partnership Program
Inaugural event, “College Admissions Panel Discussion,” featuring reps from five local colleges, scheduled for 6:00-7:30 pm on Wednesday, January 13
The Greater Johnstown School District has launched the “Johnstown Learning Partnership Program” (JLPP), an initiative meant to facilitate a stronger relationship between the district, its students, and their families. The program will serve Johnstown students in grades K-12, with the goal of encouraging an authentic, school-and-home approach to students’ education.
Throughout the school year, JLPP will offer various training, free courses, access to resources and family events as a way to engage students and their families. The Johnstown district looks to encourage confidence in their students, support them as they complete their academic careers at Johnstown, and equip them with a competitive edge as they begin their careers or further their formal education as they become citizens in the next chapter of their lives.
The program will be overseen by Nicole Panton, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Greater Johnstown School District.
“The Learning Partnership Program was created in response to a family engagement survey administered by the district in October 2020, that revealed families’ desire to be more involved in their child(ren)’s education,” Panton said. “We gained a lot of valuable insight from these family conversations, which will help us to shape programming content for the Learning Partnership Program moving forward,” she added.
Panton revealed that a high percentage of families with students in high school said they would like more help navigating the college application process. As a result, the Learning Partnership Program’s inaugural event will be a three-part series devoted to the topic.
The first event in the series, “College Admissions Panel Discussion,” will be held virtually on Zoom from 6:00-7:30 pm on Wednesday, January 13. The program is intended for Johnstown students in grades 9-12, along with their families, and will feature admissions counselors from Siena College, The University of Albany, The College of Saint Rose, SUNY Cobleskill and Fulton-Montgomery Community College. The Zoom participation link was distributed to students and families through ParentSquare.
Admissions counselors will give short introductory presentations, address frequently asked questions, and provide students and families with helpful information about the college application process. Smaller virtual group discussions will follow, facilitated by the guest admissions counselors. Wednesday’s event will be followed up by two additional college-themed presentations – one being held in February and one in March.
Future family events for elementary students include a monthly K-2 STEAM Night (science, technology, engineering, art and math), the first of which will be held at 6:00 pm on Thursday, January 28. The district will also continue to present monthly Family Literacy Nights, hosted by Johnstown Elementary Principals Cory Cotter and Bob Kraemer, at 6:00 pm on the second Tuesday of each month. PAX Tools for Families programming, which focuses on the parent-child-school connection by nurturing healthy social, emotional and behavioral skills, will also be presented under the new Learning Partnership Program umbrella. Additional programs will be shared with Johnstown students and families as they are scheduled.