A $25,000 grant from the Arkansas Community Foundation will extend the Hot Springs Family YMCA's Summer Learning Loss Prevention Program at Lakeside Primary School for another year.
A progressive three-year grant from YUSA funded the program in its first three years. The Hot Springs YMCA received $30,000 the first year, $20,000 the second year and $10,000 a year ago. Kye-YAC International provided another $5,000 in 2015.
"We are grateful for this funding," said Peter Davin, CEO of the Hot Springs YMCA. "Without the support of outside funding this work would not be possible. We also very much appreciate Lakeside School District and their commitment to collaborative programming allowing our community to be strengthened through the optimal use of resources."
The six-week initiative uses evidence-based instruction techniques to improve academic outcomes for students going into the first and second grades who are at-risk for losing reading skills during the summer break. According to the National Summer Learning Association, most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in math and literacy skills during the summer. Some under-resourced students lose more than two months in reading achievement.
West works with Principal Julie Burroughs and Assistant Principal Lee Scroggins to coordinate the program. Gina Rockwell, YMCA after-school program director for its offering at Langston Aerospace and Environmental Studies Magnet School, will serve as the Summer Learning Loss Prevention director.
Teachers refer children who read just under their grade levels. The program is not designed for students with little to no reading ability.
"This program is designed to help them not lose any of their reading ability," West said. "So we pick the kids that are almost reading at grade level, but not quite there."
Lakeside selects 32 students for the program each year. Parents will be notified in May if their children have been selected.
"When we initially got the grant, we had to elect a school partner," said Alexandria West, YMCA program director. "We went to Lakeside and they agreed. We had a good relationship with Lakeside and we also run an after-school program there now. You're supposed to use the same school ever year.
"We are hopefully looking for opportunities to expand it into other schools because it is a great program. We love doing it. We pretest them and post-test them and it makes a huge difference in their reading levels."
Students attend the program at the school Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the six weeks. A four-block learning model places students in classrooms with certified teachers in the morning. "Enrichment" in the afternoons includes art, music, physical activities and projects involving science, technology, engineering and math.
Teachers involved last year were Holly Culpepper, Carrie Gaston and Amber Rottinghaus. Kathy Poda and Elaine Thomas assisted as paraprofessionals. West expects all or most of last year's staff to return this summer.
Local on 04/27/2016