Blog

Across schools in the Wilmington Learning Collaborative, students, educators, and community partners are coming together each week for enrichment activities designed to empower students, inspire creativity, and make learning engaging and joyful. At Shortlidge Academy, that commitment has taken shape through an initiative known as Wildcat Wednesdays. Held once a week, Wildcat Wednesday dedicates an…

Three years ago, when Melanie Santiago Rosado began her journey as an educator, working at Pulaski Early Education Center as an instructional paraprofessional, she knew she had a passion for leading in the classroom, but as a mother of three, working full-time, she wasn’t sure when or how she might be able to take the…

Since its official launch in March, the Wilmington Learning Collaborative’s (WLC) Chill Room™ Initiative has been quietly changing the way students and educators approach behavioral health at The Bayard School and Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy.  The rooms, designed as safe, calming spaces where students can learn to manage stress and regulate emotions, have already become…

The Wilmington Learning Collaborative (WLC) is taking some exciting steps to expand opportunities for students. Earlier this year, WLC school leaders and council members visited the Fluxspace Experience Center in Norristown, PA, to explore science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEM or STEAM) learning environments. The experience gave them a closer look at how thoughtfully…

Since its launch, the Wilmington Learning Collaborative has established a foundation rooted in careful planning, meaningful partnerships, and evidence-based strategies. From comprehensive analyses of teaching and learning to programs supporting student growth and educator development, these early efforts have created momentum for lasting change. The work has been deliberate, focusing not just on immediate outcomes…

At the start of the 2023-2024 school year, the team at Harlan Elementary knew something needed to change. Principal Tracey Roberts recalls that student attendance was low and morale across the school was slipping. Many students also struggled to feel like they truly belonged. The theme of the year was “Do Something Different,” but as…

Over the last several decades, Wilmington has seen no shortage of efforts aimed at improving educational outcomes for city students. Initiatives like the Neighborhood Schools Act and the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission were designed to drive progress, but their outcomes were mixed, and in some cases, deepened existing challenges. But a new phase is emerging….

When the WLC launched the Teacher Leadership Design Fellowship (TLDF) in September 2024, the goal was bold: equip educators across the city with the tools, support, and inspiration to reimagine classroom instruction and school culture from the inside out. By June 2025, the results were already shifting classrooms, boosting student outcomes, and sparking new models…

What does it take to transform tomorrow’s education? For over 200 educators gathered at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, a new vision began to take shape during the 2025 WLC Educator Symposium: Transforming Tomorrow by Making Bold Moves Today. Hosted by the Wilmington Learning Collaborative (WLC) and Education First, the sold-out two-day gathering brought…