Providence Offers Expanded Summer Learning Opportunities for Youth

Providence Offers Expanded Summer Learning Opportunities for Youth

PROVIDENCE, RI – The City of Providence in conjunction with the Providence Public School Department is kicking off its annual summer enrichment programs for students from Pre-K through 12^th grade, at no cost to families. The summer programs, while incorporating academic components, will focus on enrichment and will be fun for all participants. More than 1,000 Providence youth of all ages are expected to benefit from six summer learning programs designed to stem summer learning loss and build social emotional skills. The programs include:

Inspiring Minds Summer Learning Program for students entering kindergarten.
Believe to Achieve Summer Learning Academy for students entering grades 1-5.
YMCA’s Camp Ok-Wa-Nessett Summer Skills Program for student entering grades 1-8.
Generation Teach STEAM Academy for students entering grades 6-8.
College Visions’ College and Career Exploration Program for students entering grades 9-12.
The Providence English Learner Summer Program for students entering K-12.

All summer learning programs are at least five weeks in length, five days a week and full-day programs. Combining exciting academic and enrichment programming, these partners have created immersive summer experiences.

“Free enriching summer learning opportunities have transformed the school break in Providence into a time of continued learning and growth for our children,” said Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. “By providing more of these programs we are opening doors that help our students stay on track and prepared for the challenges of a new school year. I encourage families to register their children for these amazing opportunities.”

In Providence, more than 60% of students experience summer learning loss in reading and more than 51% in math. Studies show that students from lower-income families are far less likely to have access to summer learning opportunities, leading to greater summer learning loss and lower graduation rates.

To complement summer learning programming, the City of Providence expanded job and advanced internship opportunities for young people ages 14-24. From 2016 to 2017, summer jobs offered by the City more than doubled, from 500 to more than 1,000. In 2018, over 1,300 year-round youth employment opportunities were offered. The City seeks further expansion in 2019 with support from partnering organizations.

Inspiring Minds Summer Learning Program

Age/Grades Served: Students entering kindergarten

Dates & Times: July 8 – August 16 (9am – 3pm)

Multiple locations

The Inspiring Minds summer learning program introduces young learners to a classroom environment and helps prepare them for an engaging first year of school. While the program is open to all children registered for fall 2019 kindergarten in Providence, priority will be given to students who have not had a prekindergarten classroom experience and who plan to attend one of the three learning sites in the September. Seats are available in three city elementary schools: Asa Messer Elementary, Charles N. Fortes Elementary and Robert L. Bailey Elementary.

Believe to Achieve Summer Learning Academy

Age/Grades Served: Students entering grades 1-5

Dates & Times: July 8 – August 9 (9am-3pm)

Location: Spaziano Elementary Annex, 85 Laurel Hill Ave, Providence

The Believe to Achieve Summer Learning Academy blends rigorous academic instruction with engaging enrichment activities. Mornings are dedicated to literacy and math instruction; while afternoons are filled with hands-on STEAM activities including robotics, rocketry and art. Academy instructors are certified teachers.

YMCA’s Camp Ok-Wa-Nessett Summer Skills Program

Age/Grades Served: Students entering grades 1-8

Dates & Times: July 8 – August 9(7:30am – 5:30pm)

Location: Kent County YMCA’s Camp Ok-Wa-Nessett

Located on the 100-acre grounds of the Kent County YMCA, Camp Ok-Wa-Nessett offers students a traditional camp experience plus academic enrichment in reading, mathematics and social emotional learning. Other activities include swimming, boating, archery, ropes and ecosystem explorations. This summer program is made available through a partnership with the YMCA of Greater Providence. Student busing is offered to and from three Providence locations.

Generation Teach STEAM Academy

Age/Grades Served: Students entering grades 6-8

Dates & Times: July 9 – August 9 (8:00am – 3:30pm)

Location: Nathan Bishop Middle School, 101 Sessions St, Providence

The Generation Teach STEAM is an academic acceleration and enrichment program, with students averaging two months of growth in reading and three months of growth in math. Generation Teach STEAM offers engineering, math, reading and social studies classes taught by diverse college and college-bound students. Programming includes field trips and elective courses such as basketball, dance, arts & crafts, world languages and computer coding.

College Visions’ College and Career Exploration Program

Age/Grades Served: Students entering grades 9-12

Dates & Times: June 24 – July 23 (8:30am – 1:05pm)

Location: Rhode Island College, 600 Mt Pleasant Ave, Providence

The College Visions summer program helps high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors discover how to prepare for and apply to college, how to choose a college and a career, what to study and how to pay for college focused on college and career exploration. With 15 years of experience guiding Rhode Island students through the higher education process, College Visions boasts that 98% of its program participants enroll in college.

The Providence English Learner Summer Program

Age/Grades Served: Students entering K-12 grades

Dates & Times: July 8 – August 9 (9:00am – 3:00pm)

Location: Young Woods Elementary School, 674 Prairie Ave, Providence

REGISTRATION forms are available at all Providence Public Schools.

The Providence English Learner summer program is an academic and enrichment program for students who recently arrived to the U.S. and are English Learners. The program aims to continue to develop student’s English Language proficiency through fun, experiential summer learning. Students will receive reading, writing and math instruction by ESL certified teachers and participate in weekly field trips. Breakfast and lunch will be provided daily. Bussing will be available for all students.

All information about registration opportunities will be hosted on PPSD’s website, www.providenceschools.org/summerlearning.