If you’re a parent or teacher, you’re probably familiar with the dreaded “summer brain drain.” Decades of research confirm that summer learning loss is a real phenomenon, particularly for low-income students
According to data from the National Equity Atlas, students of color in the largest 100 cities in the United States are much more likely to attend schools with large concentrations of poverty. This is a serious problem because these schools commonly lack the resources that are critical to a child’s success, such as experienced teachers, better student-teacher ratios and summer programs. How can we expect these students to compete with their counterparts in wealthier schools when they aren’t getting the same quality education — not only throughout the academic year, but in the summer?
To address the lack of summer resources and programming, Project MALES will launch its inaugural Summer Academy this month from June 15 to 17, offering three full days of academic enrichment activities to students in Austin ISD schools. The academy will be held at the Gus Garcia Young Men’s Leadership Academy, where workshop leaders will address various themes focused on leadership, brotherhood and college and career readiness. The camp will also incorporate a rich curriculum of reading, writing, spoken word, theater arts and more. read full story here.