Tackling the Summer Slide – One Child At A Time
A word from Veronica Thames, CEO of Manatee Community Foundation
By Veronica Thames, Chief Executive Officer, Manatee Community Foundation
If there is a school-aged child in your life, you’ve likely heard about the “summer slide” – when students lose ground academically while out of the classroom over summer break.
As a mom of an 8-year-old girl, I see it firsthand. All she wants to do over the summer is play, swim, and watch Looney Tunes (she loves a good classic). But as co-chair of the Manatee Childcare Alliance alongside my colleague Darrell King, CEO of the Early Learning Coalition, I can’t help but let statistics about the summer slide run through my mind.
According to the National Association of Counties, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds lose two to three months of reading proficiency each summer.
And one survey showed that 66% of educators reported they spend the first month of the school year re-teaching material that was covered the previous year – that equates to over 11% of the school year, which, compounded over 12 academic years, amounts to over 75% of a school year.
In Manatee County, educators and nonprofit organizations are tackling this challenge head-on.
Our schools have been making significant strides to elevate outcomes and our district offers a wide range of academic camps in the summer. But knowing we can’t depend solely on the schools for help, and many are filling in the gap. As part of the Manatee Community Foundation (MCF) family, we invest in a number of programs that support our youth, such as:
The Soar in 4 and Soar Learning Lab programs which help educate parents on how to be their child’s first teacher, with a focus on literacy skills.
REACH Manatee, a college access network that drives a culture that supports post-secondary education in partnership with the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, Manatee Education Foundation, and Unidos Now.
“Dive into Reading,” which invites elementary school children to have breakfast and practice reading with a mentor on of the many Oysters Rock Hospitality restaurants.
The Manatee Childcare Alliance, which seeks to provide affordable, program-rich childcare for ALICE families, employers, and the community in partnership with the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County and top leaders from business organizations, the school district, Women’s Resource Center and beyond.
The Manatee Arts Education Council, part of the Manatee Education Foundation, promoting the arts through Arts Alive, Arts Rise & Shine and art scholarships.
RECESS, Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County, United Community Centers and other nonprofit partners who offer summer programs designed to improve knowledge retention while developing reading and life skills.
The Big Plan, a Principals Fund developed to address barriers related to learning or to train and recognize staff at Big Plan schools in partnership with the school district, the Patterson Foundation, Manatee County government, and the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County for this initiative.
Making investments like these will pay off. Dr. James Heckman at the University of Chicago found that investments in early learning show a 7 to 10% per year return on investment, tied to better school and career performance, along with reduced costs in health, criminal justice and remedial education.
How can you help? Give to the organizations that run the programs, or partner with MCF and our partner foundations, so we can amplify your impact and help students avoid the summer slide.