Our Favorite Education Photos Of 2016
Ximena, 4, kicks a soccer ball the IN Region 4 Migrant Preschool Center. (Peter Balonon-Rosen/Indiana Public Broadcasting)
As the year comes to an end, we’re taking a look back at the best photos from our stories this year. We’re out there with microphones, our reporter’s notebooks and, also, our cameras.
You welcomed us into your schools, your communities and your homes. This is what we saw.
(In order of publish date. Click to enlarge.)
(Peter Balonon-Rosen/StateImpact Indiana)
When first-year third grade teacher Gabe Hoffman became a pitching coach at the local high school, planning and grading moved into the weekends, meaning less time with his girlfriend Chelsea. But she’s a first year teacher too, and he says he’s thankful for that, because someone else wouldn’t understand: teaching is a 24/7 job.
And sometimes school and personal life overlap. Listen here.
Hiroko Murabayashi moved to Columbus, Ind. in August with her husband and two kids for her husband\’s job at Enkei. Yoki, 9, and Rico, 7, both attend Southside Elementary school in the Bartholomew County School Corporation and receive English language services. (Claire McInerny/Indiana Public Broadcasting)” credit=”Claire McInerny/Indiana Public Broadcasting
Believe it or not, Japanese is the most common first language for most of Columbus, Ind.’s english learner students, besides Spanish. As language teachers work to accommodate students from a variety of cultures, it’s also a task navigating American culture for recent immigrants.
Leah Hession speaks to classmates during an Inside Out class at Indianapolis Re-entry Educational Facility. She says the class is more like a family, than a college course. (Peter Balonon-Rosen/Indiana Public Broadcasting)
Indiana used to boast a robust prison education program. In recent years, that’s changed. We found one class that teaches people who are incarcerated, alongside college students. And through the process, both learn about the lives’ of the other.
Fort Wayne Community Schools will spend about $10,000 on billboards this summer. District spokesperson Krista Stockman says state funding from a gain of two new students would pay for the billboards. (Peter Balonon-Rosen/Indiana Public Broadcasting)
In Indiana, families can choose where to send their to school — private, charter or public school. The aim behind providing this choice? Proponents say it will force all schools to better themselves. Whether it has done that remains controversial. But it has given birth to a new reality for public schools: with education competition, comes the need for education marketing.
The modified bathroom in the new Carrie Gosch Elementary School. (Claire McInerny/Indiana Public Broadcasting)
After dangerous levels of lead were found in soil next to Carrie Gosch Elementary School, the school moved into an old middle school, the district had to make adjustments to accommodate younger students. Toilets, counters and other structures had to be lowered, but the district didn’t have enough time and money to get all of the work done before school started.
YMCA staff work on swimming skills with preschool students on August 30, 2016. According to a body of research, when kids swim at an early age they gain a number of educational benefits. (Claire McInerny/Indiana Public Broadcasting)
Swimming at an early age can help children maintain a healthy weight, develop better sleeping patterns and aid brain development. Studies suggest that early year-round swimming lessons for young children accelerates physical, intellectual and emotional development. And children who learn to swim at a young age often reach many developmental milestones earlier than others.
Ellyn McCall and her son Seth 8 at the Hear Indiana offices. (Peter Balonon-Rosen/Indiana Public Broadcasting)
As more and more Indiana children born deaf or hard of hearing turn towards technology, instead of American Sign Language, school are also facing changes. We look at how they’re working to adapt.
The IN Region 4 Migrant Preschool Center, a free preschool for migrant children teaches students, age 2 to 5, in English and Spanish to prepare migrant children for school, wherever it may be. (Peter Balonon-Rosen/Indiana Public Broadcasting)
In this story from October, we took a look behind the scenes of a preschool for migrant children. Depending on the season, Indiana farms employ between 2,000 and 20,000 migrant farm workers. When workers migrate, often their families do, too. And for their children — many with interrupted schooling, histories of trauma, limited English — preschool can be especially important.
Lorelei Jaffe went to vote with her mom. She brought along the book \”White House Dog\”, and when asked if a dog would make a good president? \”I guess so.\” (Claire McInerny/Indiana Public Broadcasting)” credit=”
On election day, we set out to see what the youngest amongst us thought of the election. And why voting is important. In their own words, here’s what they had to say.
A group of solar panels at Sheridan Elementary School. Sheridan Community Schools, in Hamilton County, is now one of Indiana\’s first completely solar powered school districts. (Peter Balonon-Rosen/Indiana Public Broadcasting)” credit=”
Facing rising energy costs, one rural district in the heart of central Indiana took a unique approach to manage: They went completely solar. Sheridan Community Schools estimates they can save $4 million to $5 million over the next 20 years.
Shaw, 8, plays an improv game with Erin McTiernan, an Indiana State University doctoral student. Shaw is a participant in an improv class at Indiana State University for children with high functioning autism. (Peter Balonon-Rosen/Indiana Public Broadcasting)
For children with autism, reading others’ emotions and body language can be like a foreign language. But languages can be learned. And improv comedy classes can serve as a language immersion program. This class, specifically designed for 6- to 9-year-olds with high functioning autism, uses improv to teach social skills to children with autism.