Who We Are.
When we nurture and cultivate a child’s natural brilliance and curiosity, there are positive ripple effects throughout every area of life—both for children and their families. The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) is a national, non-profit organization focused on the powerful impact of one achievable goal: investing in summer learning to help close the achievement gap. NSLA uses the power of research, advocacy, training, and policy to transform America’s neighborhoods and communities, one child at a time.
What We Believe.
Resilience, perseverance, curiosity, and the joy of learning: as adults we work hard to cultivate our children’s best qualities and arm them with the tools they need to succeed in life. For over 25 years, NSLA has captured the magic and hidden value of summer. We believe that by investing in summer learning, we can open doors and create new outcomes for young people.
Our work is based on the simple idea that summer—a time that is easily overlooked yet critical to educational development—is bursting with possibility, and instrumental in closing the achievement gap between privileged children and less-resourced children. By casting a spotlight on summer learning loss, and galvanizing parents, educators, legislators, and community organizations to embrace the power of summer learning, we have created a space for greater achievement and potential for all children.
We founded the summer learning movement to bring attention to opportunities for greater health and well-being for children and young people across the nation. As we approach our next 25 years, we continue to build a foundation for even greater possibilities. We create and collaborate on research and tools for program providers, advocates, families, and communities. Our Knowledge Center features many publications from partners, including The Wallace Foundation.
