School briefs

Information fair The St. Paul Public School district revs up its one-stop school shopping spot again on Saturday, when the district will hold its annual Parent Information Fair. The fair will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Paul RiverCentre's Roy Wilkins Auditorium.

All St. Paul public schools and many charter, private and parochial schools will have booths at the fair. In addition, several education programs, including Early Childhood Family Education, English language learner programs and services for gifted students and special education students, will have information available for parents.

Interpreters will be available and free parking is available at the St. Paul Public Schools administration building at 360 Colborne St. and at the Sears store off Marion St., with free shuttle buses to the fair. The application deadline for district middle schools and high schools is Feb. 29. The application deadline for citywide and magnet elementary schools is March 7.

JAMES WALSH

Farnsworth honored Farnsworth Aerospace Magnet School in St. Paul has been recognized as a National Title I Distinguished School by the National Association of State Title I Directors. Schools are nominated for the award by their state departments of education in two categories: exceptional student performance for two or more years or closing the achievement gap between two students groups.

Farnsworth was nominated for closing the achievement gap.

The school will be honored at the National Title I Conference, being held in Nashville through Sunday.

JAMES WALSH

Experimental classes The Experimental College of the Twin Cities (EXCO) is offering more than 35 free and open classes this spring on everything from to global warming to pillow-making, Israel/Palestine to the social responsibility of African-American music. See a full list of classes and register online at www.excotc.org.

EXCO is a free school for social change that seeks both to model an alternative to higher education and create spaces that develop the changes needed in the world. At EXCO, everyone can teach or take classes, and all classes are free.

For more information, call 651-696-8010 or e-mail excotc@gmail.com.

An information session is scheduled for 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Macalester Campus Center, second floor atrium, 1600 Grand Av., St. Paul.

JAMES WALSH