Every Kid. Every Summer.
The National Summer Learning Association’s (NSLA) vision is that every child grows during the months and partners at every level in the community can make this a reality.
By casting a spotlight on summer learning loss, and galvanizing parents, educators, legislators, philanthropic partners and community organizations to embrace the power of summer learning, we create new opportunities for greater achievement and potential for all children. Within this spirit, NSLA partners share the following beliefs and values:
Summer as a Solution
Every child deserves a high quality education that includes community investment in summer learning as a solution to closing the achievement and opportunity gaps in America. High-quality summer learning programs are proven to maintain and advance students’ academic and social growth, keep children safe and healthy during the summer, and send young people back to school ready to learn.
Equity as a Value
All summers are not created equal. It is primarily during the summer months that millions of children slide backward academically, and it is during the summer months that the achievement gap between rich and poor increases most dramatically. Educational equity means removing barriers and creating access to the educational opportunities and supports our most vulnerable students need to thrive in school and out of school.
Communities as Assets
Safe spaces to learn, healthy food, rich community resources, and access to boundless opportunities… Every community is an asset bursting with possibilities for every child to grow. Communities that coordinate efficiently around summer and invest deeply in keeping all young people learning, safe, and healthy during the critical summer months reap measurable rewards in stronger schools, safer neighborhoods, and a better prepared workforce.
Research as Essential
Data is the most powerful tool that communities and researchers have for shaping sustainable summer solutions. With more than 100 years of summer learning research and a growing body of evidence on how students learn, advocates must continue to push for a complete picture of the academic and social needs of youth in order to inform public investments, effective programming and community supports for students and their families.
Advocacy as the Engine for Change
In a constantly changing political landscape marked by competing public funding priorities, youth champions recognize the urgency around protecting and advocating for the needs of students during the critical summer months. Community members play a vital role in equipping policymakers with the evidence of summer learning’s effectiveness and in elevating the growing support for public funding of summer learning.