Summer Learning Funding

Summer learning programs have the potential to help children and youth improve their academic performance.  This is especially true of children from low-income families who might not otherwise have access to educational resources throughout the summer months and for low-achieving students who require additional time to master academic material.  While the research indicates that learning loss varies by grade level and student characteristics, the average loss equates to approximately one month of instruction and this loss may be cumulative over time.

Because many children lose learning over the summer and some children need more time to master content, participation in summer learning programs should mitigate learning loss and have the potential to produce achievement gains.

Listed below are characteristics of effective summer learning programs. The Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie County will give priority to those programs which demonstrate ability to implement these standards:

• Smaller child ratios 
• Differentiated Instruction 
• High-Quality Instruction 
• Blend academic learning with engaging activities
• Comprehensive Programming
• Encouraging & Supporting High Attendance Rates
• Appropriate Duration of Program
• Parental Involvement 
• Effective Evaluations

For programs working with elementary school-aged populations, literacy instruction is recommended as part of learning components.  For those programs working with teenagers, in addition to learning components, career exploration and/or job readiness skills are encouraged.

Click here to download a PDF of the full Application