By Mike DeNardo

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — To help ease the transition for kids at Philadelphia schools that are being permanently closed at the end of this school year (see related stories), city education leaders are looking for donations to help pay for after-school activities.

With two dozen schools permanently closing in June, about ten thousand Philadelphia students will attend new public schools next year.

Now, the After School Activities Partnership (“ASAP”) is raising money to fund chess, debate, Scrabble, and drama teams at the receiving schools, says ASAP executive director Justin Ennis.

“In many cases, we’re going to have to start new programs,” Ennis tells KYW Newsradio, “and try and convene these new populations from the receiving schools and the transitioning schools so that they can come together under this new banner of this chess program or this debate program.”

ASAP is giving $50,000 to begin the expansion effort — half of that from a donation by philanthropists Vivian and Oscar Lasko.