CONTACT: Sarah Granofsky Toce Executive Director Wisconsin Charter Schools Association (617) 416-7924

For Immediate Release

WISCONSIN PROJECT BASED LEARNING (PBL) NETWORK ANNOUNCE
THE 2011 PBL SUMMER INSTITUTE Madison, WI June 2, 2011 The Wisconsin Project Based Learning (PBL) Institute, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Charter Schools Association, has announced dates and agenda for it 2011 Summer Institute that will take place on August 1 - 4, with Project Foundry Training August 5th at Valley New School in Appleton, Wisconsin. There will be three strands: (1) Elementary Strand, (2) New to PBL Strand, and (3) Advanced PBL "Best Practice" Strand. The program will include noted keynote speakers, and interactive breakout sessions will address the current issues, topics, and challenges that educators face in our state. The institute is supported in part by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction through dissemination grant money and by the Wisconsin Charter Schools Association. Project Based Learning, or PBL, is an instructional approach to education where students engage in authentic learning activities. The activities are most commonly done by groups of students working together, and projects are designed to answer a question or to solve a problem. This approach reflects the types of work and learning that takes place in everyday life. Sarah Granofsky Toce is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Charter Schools Association, a major supporter of the PBL Network and the Institute. PBL is an excellent option for those families who want their child to gain skills not typically offered in a traditional school - such as communication and presentation skills, organization and time management skills, research and inquiry skills, as well as group, leadership and self-assessment skills. The PBL Network is helping raise the quality of the public charter school movement by intentionally sharing best practices and this is the reason the WCSA is supporting the PBL Institute. More information and registration for the Summer Institute is available at: http://www.wicharterschools.org/vnews/display.v/ART/4dcbeac713d3f About Wisconsin Public Charter Schools Charter schools are independent public schools that are free to be more innovative and are held accountable for improved student achievement. As of September 2010, there are more than 200 charter schools in operation in Wisconsin, serving approximately 37,000 public school students.

About The Wisconsin Charter Schools Association The Wisconsin Charter Schools Association (WCSA) is a statewide member-driven organization serving public charter schools and advocates of public charter schools in Wisconsin. WCSA's mission is to provide the students and parents of Wisconsin with options for quality public education, and to advocate on behalf of quality public charter schools to ensure autonomy, accountability and innovation. Wisconsin Charter Schools Association, P.O. Box 1704, Madison, WI 53701, www.wicharterschools.org; 608-261-1120. ###