Released November 5, 2009
URBANA, Ill. -- A popular University of Illinois Extension website for children has been named to the American Library Association's "Great Websites for Kids" list, one of 21 selected for 2009.
"This is a real honor and one that reflects the quality of the website, 'The Great Plant Escape,'" said Jane Scherer, U of I Extension urban programs specialist and director of its websites.
The Web site (http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/) uses a detective story format to help children learn about plants. It was developed by Extension horticulture educators Greg Stack and RonWolford, former Extension family life educator Marsha Hawley, and Scherer.
The Great Plant Escape is now included on the American Library Association's Great Web Sites for Kids, located at: www.ala.org/greatsites.
According to the American Library Association (ALA), Great Web Sites for Kids are those considered the best web sites for ages birth to 14, outstanding in both content and conception. As applied to web sites for young people, "great" should be thought to include sites of especially commendable quality, sites that reflect and encourage young people's interests in exemplary ways. The ALA selection criteria can be found at: http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/greatwebsites/greatwebsitesforkids/greatwebsites.htm
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http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/news/stories/news4942.html
Source: Jane Scherer, (217) 244-2849, jscherer@illionis.edu
Writer: Gary Beaumont, 217-333-9440, beaumont@uiuc.edu
