Our third goal is to increase quality summer learning opportunities, with a focus on low-income students. Many children from low-income families do not have access to quality summer learning opportunities. Without enriching activities, research shows that these children lose as much as three months of comprehension skills over the summer. By fifth grade, these children are nearly three grade levels behind their peers. Summer learning loss is also cumulative, making it nearly impossible to “catch up” year after year.
Strategies to meet this goal center on:
- Establishing a baseline of number of students enrolled in summer programs.
- Working with current programs to expand services that are accessible to low income students
- Working with community partners to communicate information about summer learning opportunities
- Partnering with both school districts, Boys and Girls Club, and the Lee County Library to establish and/or expand summer reading clubs and summer camp opportunities
- Partnering with the Tupelo-Lee County Hunger Coalition to distribute books to children in the summer through grant opportunities.
Watch this video about the importance of summer learning opportunities for students:
For more information or to join the summer learning focus group, contact Kristy Luse at kristy@createfoundation.com or Albine Bennett at albine@createfoundation.com
Early Childhood Coalition 