SUMMER LEARNING
Planning for summer just got a whole lot easier! We heard your concerns about how to maintain engagement throughout an atypical summer and have developed a suite of fun and engaging activities and challenges designed specifically to accommodate COVID-19 summer.
Summer break for children often brings to mind family vacations, camp, trips to museums and libraries, and an array of additional enriching activities with families and with summer learning programs. Unfortunately, research shows that the summer months can also be a time when children experience summer learning loss, falling behind in key areas like reading and math. Summer learning programs often play a critical role during the summer months to inspire learning, provide academically enriching activities, keep kids safe and healthy, and support working families.
Nationally, 33% of families say at least one child attended a summer program in 2013. However, the demand for summer programs exceeds the current rate of participation, with 51% of families reporting that they would like their children to participate.
Support for additional summer learning programs is vital to give all children the opportunity to take part in fun and engaging activities; find new interests like cooking and video game design; explore their community’s libraries, museums and parks; receive nutritious summer meals; and stem summer learning loss. And parents agree, with 85% supporting public funding for summer learning programs.
Source: Afterschool Alliance Summer Fact Sheet 2015