Students at Musser Elementary School in Sharon and Farrell Area Elementary have a new place to spend their hours after school -- the 21st Century Learning Center.

The learning center is a joint effort between the two school districts to provide after-hours, weekend and summer programs for students in grades 4 to 8 and their families, Dawn Blaus, director of the Sharon center, said. She said they want to provide a safe, drug-free location where the students can have extended learning opportunities.

The learning center was started with a three-year state grant of $500,000 to be split between the two districts, Ms. Blaus said.

Margery "Mike" Blauser, director of the Farrell center, said they are holding family events the last Saturday of every month. They held their first event Oct. 28 at Musser, Mrs. Blauser said. She said they will rotate where the day is held each month. The idea is to get parents and students together for a day of fun and learning, she said.

The two learning centers are each run a little differently to accommodate the needs of the school, Mrs. Blauser said. Both learning centers focus on teaching the kids academics, health, culture and recreation in a fun manner, Ms. Blaus added.

The center runs on quarters and every three months the students must sign up for the new session. Mrs. Blauser said they had 30 students at Farrell this quarter and are expecting 45 next. Ms. Blaus said they had 48 students participating at Sharon this session.

The center has an advisory board and around 20 community agencies that are involved, Ms. Blaus said.

Musser principal Michael Calla said the centers are an excellent opportunity to reinforce in students what they are taught in class. He said it also helps parents by extending the school days and providing a safe environment for their children.

The centers are a "real first" with Sharon and Farrell teaming up on a project and sharing the talent and resources of their respective districts, Calla said.

Cheryl Panek, program coordinator for the Sharon Lifelong Learning Council, said the agency has been working with the districts to provide a community forum about the centers. The forum will be held Nov. 15 at Sharon High School. Community members can enjoy a complimentary light supper followed by a brief program. Local city, county and agencies officials have also been invited to the forum, Mrs. Panek said.

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