Dear Summer Learning Community, As we conclude our summer programs and start the new school year, NSLA would like to say THANK YOU. Thank You to our 25,000+ partners who provided millions of students with new summer learning experiences, tangible skills and caring mentors they will utilize in the coming school year. Thank You to the 70 diverse and inspiring programs across the US who hosted NSLA staff visits, displayed what changing lives looks like and helped our team exceed our goal of spotlighting “50 Programs in 50 Days.” Thank You to our 5 Congressional Summer Interns, their US Senate offices, Managed Funds Association, and NSLA Board Member Reginald Love, for making our all-expense paid Capitol Hill summer internship program possible. They demonstrated why summer internships are impactful summer learning experiences which can lead to first-time, full-time, job offers. Thank You to all the youth advocates who mobilized and teamed up to make the case to Congress for releasing and continuing critical Federal funding investments in afterschool and summer programs. NSLA will build on this momentum, keep our partners connected through year-round “Professional Learning Communities” and support them through new resources, trainings and special events like our “Summer Starts in September” virtual series on Sept 30th and October 1st. This is what it takes to keep kids learning and provide a great summer for ALL students in America – not just some. In partnership, Aaron Philip Dworkin CEO NSLA Register for free Summer Starts in September Webinar September 30 – October 1 Register Here Day 1 Webinar: Reflection, Impact, and Innovation An interactive webinar featuring lessons learned from summer 2025, how to measure and communicate your impact, funding strategies for 2026, innovative program approaches, workforce development highlights, and more. Day 2 Working Session: Connections, Collaboration, and 2026 Planning An interactive space to connect with NSLA’s Professional Learning Community leads and meet key partners in breakout rooms. Walk away with resources, contacts, and next steps you need for 2026 planning. Who Should Attend? Anyone who works with youth during the summer months or cares about summer learning: leaders from schools, community programs, camps, libraries, outdoor education programs, and more. Thank you to our sponsor:  NSLA’s Summer Solutions Leadership Forum   NSLA will be pausing our traditional Summer Learning Summit in Washington, DC. This shift is a key part of our strategy to focus more on states and local communities and close the summer opportunity gap by adding 7 million more low-income students into programs. Instead, we will be a hosting a new slate of webinars and trainings across the US for all our partners and organizing a smaller gathering of senior level, multi-sector leaders dedicated to expanding summer and out-of-school learning opportunities for all students nationwide. Learn more here. NSLA Expands Partnership with Google We’ve once again teamed up with Google Play to help families easily select apps and activities that support kids’ well-being! Check out NSLA’s free, teacher-approved apps here! Federal Policy Update  Congress Considers Fiscal Year 2026 Funding Bills: The annual appropriations cycle is moving full steam ahead and could have an impact on how summer programs are funded! As a reminder, each year Congress is supposed to pass 12 appropriations bills that fund the federal government for the following fiscal year which runs October 1 – September 30. That means that identical appropriations bills must pass both the House and Senate and be signed into law by the president by the start of the fiscal year to ensure funding continues. While possible, it is unlikely that these differences (described below) will be settled in time for the end of the fiscal year on September 30th. Instead, leaders of the House and Senate will attempt to come together to pass a continuing resolution – essentially a bill that will keep the government open on autopilot – to give Congress time to come to a funding agreement. This means that the debate over government funding, particularly for essential education programs and those programs that support summer learning, will continue throughout the fall. Read more here. Attend NSLA’s Upcoming Professional Learning Community Meetings  Led by expert NSLA staff and experienced Field Consultants, our Professional Learning Communities bring together youth development professionals from across the country. Each PLC meets regularly and hosts quarterly training sessions focused on key issues impacting youth today. College Access & Summer Melt • Closing the Gap: How Campus-Based Summer Youth Programs Combat K-12 Summer Melt on October 15 at 1PM ET Independent, Parochial and Charter Schools •Filling Your Camp (Without Losing Your Mind): Simple Marketing That Works on September 16 at 1pm ET •Summer Wrap Up and Planning for 2026 on October 15 at 2PM ET Libraries and Literacy: • Self-Care and Well-Being with Daniel Hatcher on 10/16/25 2pm ET •Understanding and Creating an NSLA Policy Statement on Libraries on October 17 at 2 pm ET •The Adolescent Developing Brain and Structuring Summer Programs on November 13 at at 2pm ET STEM and Medicine • September 17 at 4PM ET Join a PLC News You Can Use  • The Wallace Foundation: A new report investigates the prevalence of school districts’ summer programs using data from surveys administered in 2023 and 2024 to nationally representative samples of kindergarten through grade 12 public school districts.  • National League of Cities: A Mayor’s Guide to Supporting K-12 Education Across the country, mayors are making a difference through direct support, strategic partnerships, and public advocacy. A categorized look at how city leaders are contributing to education, using examples from peer cities to showcase a range of approaches, mayors can help shape the conditions that support all children and families.  • Every Hour Counts: Deeper Partnerships, More Equitable Systems in their new blog, Deeper Partnerships, More Equitable Systems, leaders from Omaha and Baltimore share insight into what’s possible when communities invest in systems that center youth and trust local leadership. This blog draws from a webinar highlighting the report, Responding, Reimagining, Realizing Out-of-School Time Coordination in a New Era, commissioned by The Wallace Foundation.  • The 74 Media: The Evolution of Summer School Districts across the country are redesigning summer school to include both academic and enrichment programming and how it improves educational outcomes and other social focus areas. Read more.  • Michigan Afterschool Partnership: 2025 MAC Leadership Summit October 3, 2025. This year’s theme, Leading Forward: Empowering People, Purpose, and Possibility, will guide a full day of learning, networking, and collaboration. Learn more. |
