Helping Programs

 The National Summer Learning Association works with a 50-state network of more than 5,000 summer learning program providers that collectively serves more than 2 million young people annually.  Our organization helps programs improve quality by providing:                                                                        

• Quality assessment, program design, and planning
• An array of professional development tools and experiences, including workshops targeted to all levels of providers
• Facilitated learning communities, where providers problem-solve and share best practices

• Strategic planning meeting facilitation with board and community members, presentations, support
• Evaluation planning and logic model development
• Schedule and staffing recommendations
• Advising on accessing funding, grant writing support
• Facilitated site visits to other programs
• Program design support

• Assessment of demand/need for summer programs
• Effective practices distillation and dissemination
• Scalability and replicability assessment and support
• Monitoring and evaluation of implementation and impact

• Partnership brokering between schools and community organizations to maximize expertise and resources
• Marketing and outreach to students and families advising
• Parent engagement advising
• Advising on providing adult education services for program participants’ parents

• Research-based program model development and design
• Standards crosswalk with summer learning quality standards
• Advising on curriculum selection
• Full-day professional development institutes including:
• Emerging Leaders: Basics of Summer Learning
• Planning a High-Quality, Effective Summer Program
• All Over the World Global Literacy Curriculum Training
• Facilitated professional learning communities: face-to-face, online, conference calls
• Webinars and workshops including:

• Summer Learning Research and Quality Standards Overview
• Quick Tips for a S.U.C.C.E.S.S.ful Summer
• Selecting Goals for Your Summer Program
• Using Thematic Units to Create a Summer Culture
• Effective Communication with Stakeholders
• Creating a Strategic Plan for Your Summer Program
• Making Summer Learning Fun and Engaging
• Advocacy Training and Outreach Strategies for Adults or Youth
• Selecting the Right Curriculum for Your Summer Program
• Building and Sustaining Partnerships for Your Summer Program
• Engaging Families During Summer Programming
• Finding and Securing Funding for Summer Programs

• Regional and local conference planning assistance