It’s official: Back to school is in full swing for students throughout Tallahassee! And WFSU has new programs, activities, and even events coming up for the 2024-25 school year!
One of the newest additions to the WFSU website is The Learning Neighborhood, an interactive online tool for parents and children. The Learning Neighborhood is a website designed to teach kids about the community that they are both a part of and that surrounds them.
Kids are always going to ask questions about adulthood: what certain jobs are, what they’re like, and even things that adults haven’t figured out the answers to yet. While these questions can feel overwhelming to cover, WFSU brings the web of careers with a community to the children’s fingertips.
Navigating The Learning Neighborhood website is simple. Once the link is successfully pulled up on any device, the user is prompted to choose from a selection of vivid vehicles. After selecting their own colorful automobile to begin their adventure, the user is then asked to choose the one of five districts they would like to explore. Each district has its own category of careers, including Sunshine Square which has careers such as bankers and movers, and Maker’s Depot which has careers such as artist and chef. These only scratch the surface of the careers on display in The Learning Neighborhood.
But what exactly does each of these career pit stops entail? Once a career has been selected, it takes the user to a page with dozens of resources overflowing with information. These links include both information about the career itself and the soft skills necessary to excel in the field. If someone is in the mood for activities with little to no prep, there are videos of PBS KIDS shows and skills-based games that are readily available for children to use. In addition to those materials there are crafts, activities, and parent resources ready to print out and be completed. Every career comes with book recommendations from Tallahassee’s own Midtown Reader and the FSU Center for Reading Research. Regardless of the goal, there is an activity available on The Learning Neighborhood. Everything on the website is completely free.When you check out books from your local library, you can enjoy exploring each block of The Learning Neighborhood without a single payment.
Understanding the world that they are being raised in is an important part of a child’s development. Teaching young children that everyone matters in a functioning society is vital for allowing kids to feel encouraged to pursue whatever they strive towards as they get older. While their mind doesn’t need to be made up just yet, with The Learning Neighborhood children can begin to understand how everyone in the community plays a role. With every game and video, children will gain a better understanding of how each member of society contributes in their own unique way. Each career is given the same amount of appreciation, allowing children to draw their own conclusions on what interests them.
With so much ready to explore in The Learning Neighborhood, you can get started right now at thelearningneighborhood.org
Don’t forget to look at WFSU’s other resources for young students!
The Learning Neighborhood was made in partnership with the Florida Center for Interactive Media.