Polk Family Connection will celebrate Summer Learning Day
♦ Organization and partners join thousands of education advocates across the country
Polk Family Connection will highlight the importance of summer learning opportunities at the Summer Fun Day at One Door Polk in Cedartown coming up with an event next Thursday.
Join the organization and others at the North Main Street facility on July 12 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), National Summer Learning Day is an advocacy day aimed at elevating the importance of keeping all kids learning, safe and healthy during the summer.
On this day each year, the country unites in advocacy efforts and celebrations hosted by hundreds of partner organizations from libraries to parks and recreation centers and civic and non-profit groups to promote awareness of the importance of keeping kids healthy and engaged during the summer. This year’s goal is to serve over 100 youth in Polk County.
“Summer Learning Day is an annual reminder that summers matter and if we want our kids to do well in the school year ahead, our communities need to ensure students get the supports and services they need to continue growing and thriving over the summer,” Rhonda Heuer, Executive Director of Polk Family Connection, said. “We are dedicated to supporting student achievement throughout the summer, and our celebration today marks our commitment to that goal.”
Research shows that summers without quality learning opportunities put our nation’s youth at risk for falling behind – year after year – in core subjects like math and reading.
The math and reading skills lowincome students lose each summer are cumulative and contribute significantly to the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income kids. A survey conducted by NSLA, indicated that two-thirds of teachers said they spend at least a month reteaching students old material when they return from summer vacation.
“Ensuring our children are engaged and learning during the summer months must be a national imperative,” Matthew Boulay, Ph.D., NSLA founder and CEO, said. “Studies show that leaving kids unattended during the summer - without any programmed activities - is detrimental to their education and health. These effects are particularly pronounced among poorer kids, whose parents work long hours and simply don’t have the money to enroll them in summer programs.”
Summer Fun Day, in partnership with the National Summer Learning Association, Polk Family Connection, One Door Polk and the Ferst Readers will involve multiple children from care centers, the Boys and Girl’s Club and families in the community with children up to 8 years old.
The organization hosts this event through our subcommittee, Get Polk Reading. Our focus is for children to be ready to read at grade level by third grade.
Studies reveal that at that critical juncture, students go from learning to read to reading in order to learn. Children not reading at grade level by then begin falling behind and are more at risk for dropping out of school and the multiple issues that result from not completing high school.
On July 12, five reading/storytelling stations will be set up in the One Door Polk facility with volunteers and “community celebrities” reading to small groups, with an activity to reinforce the book.
Bill Fann, Cedartown City Manager, expressed his support of this initiative and was the first community leader to volunteer as a reader. There will also be a healthy snack activity, a literacy carnival, and several surprises for the children.
Each child will receive multiple books to take home to continue their reading opportunities during the summer. Any family with a child or children up to 8 years old are invited to participate in the event.
For more information, contact Rhonda Heuer at 770-748-1016 or email rhonda@polkcouncil.com.