Advocacy
Bridge to Learn Summer Learning Tour 2024
National Summer Learning Week is a week-long celebration dedicated to elevating the importance of summer learning. Hosted by The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), this week inspires APOST in partnership with Bridge to Learn to celebrate summer programming in Allegheny County.
About The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA)
The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) is a national, non-profit organization focused on the powerful impact of one achievable goal: investing in summer learning to help close the opportunity gap. NSLA uses the power of research, advocacy, training, and policy to transform America’s neighborhoods and communities, one child at a time.
July 17, 2024
Highlights of the Day
During the 2024 National Summer Learning Tour, participants had the opportunity to experience firsthand the incredible work being done by local organizations to enrich the lives of young people across Allegheny County.
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The tour began with a visit to the Northgate School District, where Assemble hosted six weeks of camps for students in grades K-7. These camps covered diverse themes such as Afrofuturism, Creative Chemistry, and Emerging Engineers. Participants witnessed how Assemble's STEAM-focused activities inspired creativity, reduced summer learning loss, and provided practical skills in an engaging and supportive environment.
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The second stop of the tour brought participants to the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, where students in grades 8-12 were engaged in various creative projects. Using professional-grade equipment, students explored ceramics, photography, digital arts, and more. Tour participants were able to see how MCG Youth's summer studios empowered young people to express themselves artistically, build confidence, and develop lifelong skills in an encouraging environment.
Empowering Youth Through Summer Learning
Building on the success of the 2024 National Summer Learning Tour, Bridge To Learn and APOST are excited to continue connecting the community to the transformative impact of out-of-school time (OST) programs across Allegheny County.
In 2025, the Summer Learning Tour will bring together participants to explore the vibrant world of OST programming in Allegheny County. This year's tour will continue to showcase the innovative efforts of organizations like Assemble and the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild (MCG) Youth, demonstrating how engaging summer learning programs address learning loss and provide invaluable skills for youth development.
Stay tuned for more information to come in 2025.
Why Summer Learning Matters
High-quality summer programs provide students with continued opportunities for learning out of the classroom and can reduce the academic loss over the summer months.
More than half of students in the United States experience summer learning losses five years in a row and lose nearly 40 percent of their school year gains. There is a significant lack of access to high-quality summer programming across the country with cost barriers and lack of program availability being the main two factors. There is a wide array of summer programs through public agencies, community-based organizations, schools, libraries, museums, recreation centers, camps, and businesses in Allegheny County that provide these summer learning opportunities.
A nationally representative poll of parents across US conducted by Gallup in partnership with the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) and the American Camp Association (ACA) found that in 2023, 30 million youth were engaged in organized summer opportunities. This represents 55% of K-12 youth in schools were engaged in opportunities including: day camps, overnight camps, summer school, community-based enrichment programs, internships and jobs.
Only 10 million out of 25 million (38%) low-income students accessed programs, compared with 50% of middle-income and 67% of upper-income children.
NSLA and ACA call for a national effort to maintain and increase this baseline, but critical barriers such as cost remain for many families.
According to the America After 3pm Survey:
Just 22% of children were enrolled in a formal summer experience in 2019.
51% of families would enroll their children in a formal summer program if one were available to them.
39% of families noted that summer program costs were too expensive with the average weekly cost being $288 per child per week.
