The academic performance gap of elementary children continues to widen between low-income and upper income households. One of the recognized challenges is loss of academic skill over the summer break for the lower income households. Children either lack the ability or do not have the opportunity to maintain/practice their skills during the summer break. As a result, the children lose some of the skills learned from the previous year. The beginning of the next school year they start behind academically. They struggle through the next school year, then the following summer another measure of academic skill loss occurs. If this happens through out the elementary years, children become discouraged because they are so far behind. Some give up thinking that they will never do well. This sets the stage for them to drop out of school and not graduate.

The program is created with help from teachers and those from the business community. The curriculum goals for each grade level in math and language arts are used to create the program utilizing online resources and appropriate academic activities.  Character development and identifying each child's  strengths will also be incorporated within the activities. The program will be available for ages 4-11.

Each Student will participate in the summer reading program at the library.  The Children 8-11 will receive instruction on how to utilize the library and its services.

Because some of the children will come from families that are experiencing food insecurity, we will be feeding them lunch and a snack during the time at the library.

The children's encouragement and support will include their ability to earn their schools supplies and a school bag by attendance, bring their homework back each day, and other ways according to their ability to improve. Our goal is to send them to school ready to learn. 

Though we will be open to have any child to be enrolled in the program, this program requires  parents to attend a training. Our premise is that the parents are vital to the success to the academic and character development of their child.  They need to attend our training sessions and agree to assist their children in the completion of assignments at home.  Our goal is to establish a support group to share ideas and information that continues beyond the summer program.