Summer Learning Academy

Updated Nov 13 2020

Summary

The Tuscaloosa City Schools’ (TCS) Summer Learning Program was created to combat the “summer slide” – a regression in learning among students during summer breaks from school – by providing students a wide range of learning activities to keep their minds active. Knowing that students are more likely to actively participate in activities that are fun and engaging, TCS has designed their Summer Learning Program to be high-interest and high-impact, providing teachers an opportunity to design innovative and creative ways of learning for their students. 

Beyond educational achievements for students, TCS’s Summer Learning Program addresses the needs of families in Tuscaloosa in which parents and guardians do not have flexible work schedules. With a summer camp-style program, TCS provides an opportunity for students to participate in engaging activities in a safe environment. Evidence demonstrates the program's success at addressing the summer slide. Students who participate in the program outperform their peers on beginning-of-the-year assessments by an average of more than 20 points.  

The program evolves as needs change over time.  Current objectives include expanding programs, improving existing programs, enhancing partnerships with higher learning institutions and the business community, maximizing the use of physical space and resources in the school system, and achieving universal access and participation in programs for any child who desires to attend.

Tuscaloosa City Schools handles the administration. Please contact them for more information.

Goals and Impact

• To combat the regression of student learning during the summer by providing students a wide range of learning activities to keep their minds active

• To provide students with high-interest, high-impact learning experiences in a safe environment

• To serve as a catalyst for sparking a culture of innovation in our school district

Key Milestones & Events

Financial Information