August 20, 2021
Diverse and creative experiences emphasized re-engagement and recovery
Every summer, City Schools offers many opportunities for students to learn, explore, and try new things. Yet this summer, after a year of mostly remote learning, our students also needed to reconnect, re-engage, and recover. More than ever, they needed the spark that in-person instruction and participation provides for academic and personal growth, and especially for closing performance gaps.
From late June to August, City Schools and its partners delivered summer programs to approximately 17,500 students — more than ever before.
Eighteen district-provided summer programs ranged from those focused on academic credit recovery and understanding important concepts through creative exploration to advanced placement preparation and employment opportunities. Across the district, programs recognized the unique needs of students after a unique school year. They emphasized social-emotional learning, one-on-one and small group tutoring, professional development for educators, re-introducing students to in-person learning, and supporting all students, including English language learners and learners with disabilities.
For example:
Nearly 6,000 high school students took advantage of City Schools’ Credit Recovery initiatives to stay on track in their path to graduation. At four schools across the city, and in conjunction with important partners like YouthWorks, the Credit Recovery Program provided more than 9,000 credits, most of them in literacy and math.
The Summer Arts & Learning Academy, operated by Young Audiences of Maryland, is a full-day, six-week, in-person program that supports math and literacy learning through hands-on, creative exploration led by professional teaching artists and classroom educators. Students explored while making academic connections in a variety of art forms such as using beat-boxing to practice counting fractions or writing songs to recall math formulas. More than 1,500 PreK-5 students participated in this year’s Summer Arts & Learning Academy at eight sites - the largest of City Schools’ elementary-age summer programs.
City Schools students were offered free admission to Johns Hopkins University’s summer Center for Talented Youth program, the acclaimed program for high-achieving students. This free option was only extended to City Schools students.
In partnership with Towson University, a first-time program supported social-emotional learning, literacy, and body awareness through intensive - and fun! - dance instruction. This creative initiative was only available to City Schools students.
Thanks to these and other enriching, fun, and educational summer programs, City Schools students are approaching a pivotal school year having tackled summer learning loss, connected with peers and teachers, and rediscovered the benefits of in-person learning.
To learn more about City Schools’ summer offerings, visit: Summer Learning Page.