Mercy Home launched two programs to engage our young people during the summer months, in effort to maintain their academic retention, prepare them for the workplace, and have a little fun along the way.
The Summer Enrichment Program, for kids not enrolled in summer school, and the Summer Career Institute, for young people not eligible for employment outside of Mercy Home, kicked off a summer of learning and development around the Home. Both programs aim to prevent what’s known as the “summer slide.”
“Youth who are not in summer school or participating in any consistent learning during summer months often suffer from what’s called ‘summer slide’ or ‘summer learning loss,’ which is the tendency for students — especially those from low-income families — to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year,” said Brittany Terrell, Director of Education Resources at our boys home.
Summer learning loss is large factor in the growing achievement gap between high- and low-income families. Parents with higher incomes invest time and money in their children while lower-income families, often headed by a single parent, struggle to find time and resources, resulting in their children falling behind. Studies show that summer learning loss accounts for about two-thirds of the ninth-grade achievement gap in reading.
Mercy Home’s Summer Enrichment Program aims to bridge that gap, as does the Summer Career Institute. By engaging our young people with fun-filled activities, field trips, and projects, their minds remain active heading into the upcoming school year.
The Summer Enrichment Program begins each day with a “Morning, Mind, and Body” session to reduce anxiety and stress, using techniques such as yoga and deep breathing exercises that benefit physical and mental health.
Participants then transition to instructional lessons in various subjects like social studies, science, math, and reading. Our tutors teach subjects to the entire class, but individual packets are often tailored to our kids’ academic assessment scores, grade levels, and functioning levels, as well as their academic strengths and learning styles. Small classes allow tutors to give more personalized instruction to best fit our kids’ needs.
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