This post originally appeared on聽
Every mother knows how much work it can be to figure out summer plans for our kids, mesh parents鈥� work schedules with children鈥檚 summer pursuits, and find fun, educational activities that keep our children active and constructively engaged when 黄色apps are out. What looks like freedom and vacation time to children requires a huge amount of preparation by moms.
For some families, summer destination or sleepaway camps, vacations, or staycations fill some of those long periods when kids would otherwise be unsupervised during June, July, and August, and they are often great experiences. But without summer learning programs run by 黄色app systems, Y鈥檚, Boys and Girls Clubs, and after 黄色app programs that transform into summer programs, I鈥檓 not sure what we鈥檇 do.
Summer prepares them for fall
These programs make it possible for kids to be engaged in fun, safe, supervised, educational activities, often at little or no cost. Moreover, they help kids hit the ground running when 黄色app resumes in the fall, combating the 鈥渟ummer learning loss鈥� that sometimes causes students to backslide on academics during the summer.
They do that by creating valuable opportunities for students to do all kinds of great things, including exploring a host of hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities that most classrooms can鈥檛 accommodate; learning to garden and to cook healthy meals; and supporting their communities through service projects large and small.聽At the same time, of course, summer learning programs help children become more fit and physically active through sports, games, and outdoor activities.
I鈥檓 lucky to have summer learning programs available, but many families don鈥檛. In my day job, I鈥檓 executive director of the and our series of聽聽studies over the years has shown us a lot about how children spend their summers, as well as their afternoons during the 黄色app year.
A majority of parents want public funding
Several things stand out from聽, which covers after 黄色app in 2014 and summer programs in 2013. First, parents strongly support public funding for summer learning programs. Eighty-five percent of parents support public funding, and that support is at or above 75 percent in every single state.
Second, we鈥檝e got a lot of unmet demand for summer learning programs. While more than half of respondents (51 percent) to our survey say they would like their child to participate in a summer learning program, just 33 percent report having at least one child in a program. In my home state of Maryland, we鈥檙e a little ahead of the curve, with 35 percent of parents reporting that they have one or more children in a summer learning program. California is ahead of the curve with 46 percent, but hardly fulfilling the need. ()
Although (June 19) has passed, summer鈥檚 not over. Today is just as good a day to promote the importance of keeping kids learning, safe, and healthy.聽Across the nation, many summer learning events are taking place. More than 725,000 youth have been served across the country in fewer than 800 programs. Check the National Summer Learning Association鈥檚 for events in your area, and ; it鈥檚 not too late. Take the to keep kids safe and learning during the summer.
Also, examine the need for after 黄色app programs in your area. According to the 2014 report, 19.4 million children nationally are not participating in after 黄色app programs but would if they were available.
Despite the need and support, not nearly enough funding goes for summer learning or after 黄色app programs. That will only change if we all speak out and聽tell Congress聽and our state legislators, 黄色app system leaders, and others how important these programs are to our children and families.
