Summer Meals and Summer Learning: Closing the Summer Nutrition and Opportunity Gap
Clarissa Hayes, Senior Child Nutrition Policy Analyst, Food Action and Research Center (FRAC) When the school bell rings to mark the beginning of summer break, millions of low-income children lose access to the school breakfasts and lunches they rely on during the school year. The federally funded Summer Nutrition Programs — the Summer Food Service […]
National Summer Learning Week
#SummerLearningWeek July 6-10, 2026 National Summer Learning Week NSLA’s National Summer Learning Week is a nationwide celebration that elevates the importance of summer learning in keeping kids engaged, safe, and healthy during the summer months. Held annually in July, this week shines a spotlight on the vital role high-quality summer programs play in supporting student […]
2021 California Summer Learning Guide
There is an unprecedented sense of urgency, calls to action, and investment of resources from multiple levels of government to increase access to, and expand the role of, summer learning programs. This is very good news for students and families in California, a state that has historically underinvested in summer learning, and this moment represents […]
The Promise of Summer as a Time for Teacher Professional Learning
Helping teachers improve their instructional practice through high-quality professional learning opportunities is a key strategy for improving student academic, social, and emotional outcomes. Little is known about the professional learning activities teachers participate in over the summer. This report begins to fill that gap by presenting data from the first nationally representative survey of teachers […]
Summer Learning in 2020 Talking Points
Across the country, summer programs are adapting and innovating to ensure children and their families can access quality summer learning opportunities and critical supports and services. Organizations and programs may use these key messages, and their accompanying talking points, as a guide when navigating the topic of summer learning in 2020: Key Message No. 1 […]
National Summer Learning Experts
The National Summer Learning Association is the only national nonprofit exclusively focused on closing the achievement and opportunity gap by increasing access to high-quality summer learning opportunities. NSLA has experts and a network of partners who can identify high-quality local programs to meet the needs of any learner, provide information on summer program practices and […]
2020 Summer Story Starters
OVERVIEW Across the country, summer programs are adapting to ensure students and their families receive quality summer learning opportunities and critical supports and services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of working families will soon tackle the difficult task of finding high-quality, safe and affordable summer childcare and enrichment solutions as the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to […]
CARES ACT: COVID-19 Stimulus Funding Guidance For Summer Learning
The National Summer Learning Association is encouraged by the passage of the bipartisan CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act. This unprecedented funding provides $2 trillion in emergency stimulus funding to address the immediate financial needs of families, businesses, and the education system amidst the economic fallout from COVID-19. ADVOCATING FOR THE FUNDS ADVOCACY […]
The Summer Times – November 21, 2019
This Thanksgiving, please know that we at the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), see you and appreciate your leadership, hard workand dedication to improving the lives of America’s most vulnerable children.When many of us gathered at our summer learningnational conferencein Atlanta last month and heard the powerful stories of our presenters, attendees andaward-winning programs. NSLA […]
The Summer Times – June 20, 2019
Investing in Successful Summer Learning Programs A new report from the RAND Corporation (commissioned by The Wallace Foundation) explores what characteristics of summer programs meet ESSA evidence standards, and what characteristics of summer programs meet ESSA evidence standards.Researchers identified 43 summer programs that met the top three tiers of ESSA’s evidence standards. Questions examined through […]