Best Summer Ever Integrated Learning Camps
San Mateo County Library, Calif.
Innovation Synopsis
In one of the wealthiest counties in the nation, 42% of children can't read on grade level in third grade. SMCL is leading change with targeted enrollment in free intensive learning summer camps of a dosage that matters for second and third graders who are not proficient in reading.
Challenge/Opportunity
80% of a child's waking hours are spent out of school and privileged children are receiving more and more enrichments during that time, which leads to a widening and troubling achievement gap. SMCL developed summer learning enrichment camps and piloted the program in five of the highest need communities in the county. The program enrolled children reading below grade level at a critical intervention point (before entering third grade) to participate in an eight-week, Monday-to-Friday camp that offered over 100 hours of hands-on learning to support the whole child, field trips, free daily lunches and snacks, home libraries for all participants, and family engagement nights. The camps provided dosage of enriching experiences that research shows correlates with arresting or reversing the summer slide.
Key Elements of Innovation
We developed the idea of the camps and conducted targeted enrollment to identity children most in need of support in collaboration with schools; partnered with the YMCA to create integrated literacy learning curriculum; partnered to provide free daily meals; and conducted pre and post assessments of the participants. For year two, we are developing original curriculum with a new partner, Center for Childhood Creativity; providing yearlong professional development for library camp staff; revising assessment methods; increasing number of family engagement opportunities; and expanding the program to seven high need communities.
Achieved Outcomes
At the conclusion of our 2014 summer pilot, we served 10,364 healthy meals to children; provided an average of 17 books per family to add to their home libraries; and offered three to four hours of enriching programming per day for the length of the camp. 88% of parents stated their child learned what they hoped she/he would learn by participating in the library learning camp and 100% of library learning camp participants read eight or more books over the summer. We learned there is tremendous need for this kind of program and are updating all summer 2015 curriculum to align with the common core. Collecting meaningful data is a priority and we are building on pilot year experiences to revise collection tools and instruments.
