Knowing 43 million kids (3 out of 4) lose access to academic opportunities each summer, thus exposing them to learning loss, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Summer Brain Gain: READ! team and Staples partnered to raise the bar of success through “Staples Makes Good Reads Happen” programming.
Focusing on reading and 21st century skill development, the Summer Brain Gain: READ! 2015 curricula encouraged Club members to engage with peers and community, express themselves, evaluate projects and exhibit what they learned.
As one of BGCA’s responses to summer learning loss, Summer Brain Gain: READ! achieved new heights with Club members and youth development facilitators in 2015 by using stakeholder feedback and evaluation results to make program enhancements. Most notable was ensuring that all curricula adopted:
While access to academic enrichment during summer remains BGCA’s primary focus, the greater charge is mitigating potentially life-long inequalities. Staples and BGCA continuously seek to ensure low-income youth are able to keep pace with their middle-class peers, become college- and career-minded citizens, and develop into global leaders. We also want to ensure these tools are consistently brought to life in each Boys & Girls Club.
Our solution: provide even more fun through “Staples Makes Good Reads Happen” contest. In addition to maintaining or growing reading skills from year to year, the contest inspires Club members in elementary school, middle school and high school to bring a favorite book to life to freely engage with literary text and have fun! Learn more about the projects our contestants created and the books that inspired them right here!
Jami Pettway is BGCA's Senior Director of Summer Learning in Program, Training & Youth Development Services.
Focusing on reading and 21st century skill development, the Summer Brain Gain: READ! 2015 curricula encouraged Club members to engage with peers and community, express themselves, evaluate projects and exhibit what they learned.
As one of BGCA’s responses to summer learning loss, Summer Brain Gain: READ! achieved new heights with Club members and youth development facilitators in 2015 by using stakeholder feedback and evaluation results to make program enhancements. Most notable was ensuring that all curricula adopted:
- A thematic approach coupled with Common Core performance standards
- High-yield performance strategies
- Creativity and fun!
While access to academic enrichment during summer remains BGCA’s primary focus, the greater charge is mitigating potentially life-long inequalities. Staples and BGCA continuously seek to ensure low-income youth are able to keep pace with their middle-class peers, become college- and career-minded citizens, and develop into global leaders. We also want to ensure these tools are consistently brought to life in each Boys & Girls Club.
Our solution: provide even more fun through “Staples Makes Good Reads Happen” contest. In addition to maintaining or growing reading skills from year to year, the contest inspires Club members in elementary school, middle school and high school to bring a favorite book to life to freely engage with literary text and have fun! Learn more about the projects our contestants created and the books that inspired them right here!
Jami Pettway is BGCA's Senior Director of Summer Learning in Program, Training & Youth Development Services.