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ACA is pleased to partner with the National
Summer Learning Association to share
resources and information about the positive
benefits of summer learning and enrichment
for children and youth. Here you will find
resources related to summer learning and
camp, camp-school partnerships, research,
and public policy information from ACA,
NSLA, and other organizations.
| All young
people experience learning losses
when they do not engage in educational
activities during the summer.
Research spanning 100 years shows
that students typically score
lower on standardized tests at
the end of summer vacation than
they do on the same tests at
the beginning of the summer (White,
1906; Entwisle & Alexander
1992; Cooper, 1996; Downey et
al, 2004). |
| Most students
lose about two months of grade
level equivalency in mathematical
computation skills over the summer
months. Low-income students also
lose more than two months in
reading achievement, despite
the fact that their middle-class
peers make slight gains (Cooper,
1996). |
| More than
half of the achievement gap between
lower and higher income youth
can be explained by unequal access
to summer learning opportunities.
As a result, low-income youth
are less likely to graduate from
high school or enter college
(Alexander et al, 2007). |
| Children lose
more than academic knowledge
over the summer. Most children—particularly
children at high risk of obesity—gain
weight more rapidly when they
are out of school during summer
break (von Hippel et al, 2007). |
| Parents consistently
cite summer as the most difficult
time to ensure that their children
have productive things to do
(Duffett et al, 2004). |
| (Source:
National Summer Learning Association,
"Doesn’t
Every Child Deserve a Memorable
Summer") |
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Camping
Alone? Connection, Consistency, and
Contribution How Summer Camps Build
Social Capital
by
Stephen Wallace |
The
Art of Camp: How Arts Programs Fuel
Self-Expression and Youth Development
by
Stephen Wallace |
GREEN
Corp: Being Green . . . Artfully
by
Dee Billia |
Add
Some Music to the Mix: A California
Camp Fills a Week With Music — and
So Can You!
by Chris French |
Developmentally
Appropriate Sports Skills for Three-
and Four-Year-Olds
by Douglas Mann,
D.P.D., A.T.C. |
Letting
Campers Make Their Mark: Writing
to Enhance the Camp Experience
by Melody Pickle,
Ph.D. |
Put
Poems in Your Pockets: Why Use Poetry
at Camp?
by
Faith Evans, M.Ed. |
Part
I: Letters From My Campers A Director’s
Guide to Mentoring Youth
by Stephen
Wallace, M.S. Ed. |
| Making an Impact
on the Youth of Today |
| Today's Tweens:
Insights From the Halls of Middle School
to the Walls of Camp Cabins |
Creating
Camp Narratives to Enhance Emotional
Growth of HIV+ Youth
by Meredith Jones, M.A., and
Michelle Robbins Broth, Ph.D. |
The
Boy in the Boat: Life Lessons Learned
at Camp
by Stephen
Wallace, M.S. Ed., and
Ben Seifer |
The
Impact of the Loss of Free, Undirected
Play in Childhood (And What Camps
Can Do About It)
by
Michael Thompson, Ph.D. |
The
Power of Camp: Camp Changes Lives
in Positive Ways
by
Jessica Coleman |
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The
Learning Season: The Untapped Power
of Summer to Advance Student Achievement
This
extensive report from the Nellie
Mae Education Foundation reveals
that summer learning is more important
than previously believed. |
| Summer
Can Set Kids on the Right—or
Wrong—Course: Study Links a
Lack of Academic Achievement, High
Drop-out Rate, to Summertime Learning
Loss (PDF) |
Research
and Publications from the National
Summer Learning Association
Find
research briefs, current study information,
and other NSLA research publications. |
| |
| ACA
Public Policy Position Statement
on School Calendars (PDF) |
| ACA
Position Paper on Year-Round Education (PDF) |
| How
Did You Spend Your Summer Vacation?
What Public Policies Do (and Don’t
Do) to Support Summer Learning Opportunities
for all Youth (PDF) |
| |
ACA
Bookstore
Find
great summer learning tools for educators,
out-of-school-time professionals and
other child and youth professionals. |
Camp-School Partnership
Guidebook (MS Word)
For information about how to create
camp-school partnerships, read Creating
Camp-School Partnerships: A Guidebook
to Success published by the American
Camp Association. |
Out-of-School-Time
Learning Graduate Certificate
The
National Summer Learning Association
at Johns Hopkins University is pleased
to offer an online graduate certificate
program geared toward program managers
of summer and afterschool programs. |
Making the Most
of Summer: A Handbook on Effective
Summer Programming and Thematic Learning
This
resource guides child and youth professionals
in improving the quality of their summer
programs by meeting the academic and
youth development needs of their young
people. |
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Join
the Summer Learning Network to receive the latest
news and resources on summer learning,
and be a part of the National Campaign
to create opportunities for high-quality
summer for all young people. |
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