Years ago, going to school meant starting at 8 a.m., spending the day with a teacher, and wrapping up around 3 p.m. If things didn’t click, you might find yourself in summer school.

How things have changed.

For students in the Lewiston School System, learning time may now go 24/7, and extend into the summer. Perhaps this is part of what the Maine Learning Results means when it refers to one of the Guiding Principles – to be and Independent and LifelongLearner. For students who miss credits, need more academic support or wish to advance, there are many options within the Lewiston School System and within the wider community.

Homework help is offered in many schools directly after school, as well as several centers around the city such as the B-Street Building and Trinity Church. Many students have the opportunity to get help from Bates College volunteers at the Lewiston Public Library. As students discover these options, they encourage friends to attend. These centers are growing in popularity and helping students stay on track.

Lewiston High School offers a six-week summer program, where students can recover anywhere from one-half to two credits of academic work. These credits could be earned in traditional classroom-based courses or working through computer-based curricula via the PLATO software and monitored by a teacher. In this way, students can access their work anytime and anywhere they have a computer to use. PLATO is also available to students during the regular school year, both during and after school.

Also during the school year, credit recovery courses are offered in the afternoon, after the regular day has ended. Courses can also be made up through the offerings of the Learning Adult Education programs. In the near future, the Lewiston High School will formalize a relationship with Blackboard, thereby being able to offer a wider range of tailor-made courses via 24/7 web access.

Finally, for students wishing to get a taste of the college experience, Lewiston High School partners with five area colleges to offer early college classes, where Lewiston juniors and seniors can actually enroll and take a selection of courses for full college credit. Those students meeting specific criteria may even be accepted into Bowdoin College’s Upward Bound Program, and live on campus for a six-week summer session.