by Chauleaqua Washington

May 24 was proclaimed “Dray Cottingham Day” by the City of Pittsburgh, because this 16-year-old City High student has been doing extraordinary things.

“I’ve been writing forever. My family and others who read my stories were always impressed with the things I would come up with,” said Dray Cottingham.

DRAY COTTINGHAM WORKING ON ONE OF HIS PLAYS

He produced, directed, wrote and cast his own play entitled “A Teen’s Unspoken Truth,” which earned him recognition by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.

An inspired Cottingham wrote about whatever felt right to him, writing about things that seemed too mature for his age and people disapproving of him, yet he didn’t let it stop him.

Cyber schools, with their virtual educational techniques, continue to make strides in the educational process, but one Pittsburgh based Charter School is putting together programs to help students excel even more.

PA Learners Online Regional Charter School, which is operated by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit—a nonprofit branch of the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the largest of the 29 intermediate units created by the Pennsylvania State General Assembly—will begin accepting students in the Spring of 2012 for their Science Technology Research Engineer Arts and Mathematics (STREAM) Academy. The career based program will not only allow students to attend school online, but will set them up with on-location instruction in the specific career fields they are interested in.

As technology advances, society changes and the education process is no different. Before, the typical routine for a student was to wake-up early, get dressed and then go off to school, but with the click of a mouse, students can get their full education from the comforts of their own home-it’s called Cyber Charter School or online schooling. Students from kindergarten to college are now completing their education online.

According to Timothy Eller, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, of the 1,781,206 students enrolled in public schools, 27,779 students are enrolled in Cyber Charter Schools. There are currently approximately 13 Cyber Charter Schools in Pennsylvania and more and more are popping up every year.

In an effort to help young men and woman transition from high school to college or the workforce, A Second Chance, Inc. developed a basketball camp entitled, “Camp COPES (Children Optimizing Personal Experience through Sports).”

Camp COPES has been in existence for seven years, providing a unique experience for participants by equipping them with necessary life skills through teamwork, competition and mentoring. The camp is held Monday-Thursday throughout the summer at A Second Chance Inc., 8350 Frankstown Ave. The games begin at 4 p.m. and end at approximately 8 p.m. The summer games end with a Playoff and Championship week.

CAMP COPES RUNNERS-UP