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Greetings!

America must hear the cry of pain unfolding across the land as we come to grips with the heartbreaking and shameful murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the countless lives that have been lost as a result of generations of systemic racism in this country. The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) stands in solidarity with our colleagues, partner organizations, and the families we serve in the fight to uplift our most vulnerable children so that they can realize their dreams, along with the promises of freedom and justice.

For more than 25 years, NSLA has focused on one achievable goal: investing in summer learning to help close the achievement and opportunity gaps that cripple our nation and hinder prosperity for all. In collaboration with a legion of youth advocates, we strive every day to elevate the importance of keeping kids learning, safe, and healthy during the critical summer months so they start the school year strong and thrive all year long.

But we know the field of opportunity – especially during summer – is a sobering picture of the have and have-nots. During the COVID-19 pandemic and traditionally every summer, low income youth face the greatest amount of learning set-backs without access to high quality summer enrichment opportunities providing essential academic supports, food security, and safe spaces.

Without addressing the systemic and structural racial and financial barriers that exist in our communities, high-quality summer learning opportunities for growth, health, safety, and financial security will be limited to only families with access and resources to secure them.

Looking for practical activities to put the fun and joy in summer learning this season? Join us Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. for a virtual "Meet the Authors" conversation featuring two new books designed to help young people, parents and program leaders navigate a summer like no other.

Dr. Matthew Boulay, a visionary educator, leader, and advocate for children and families for over 25 years, will share easy-to-use, practical suggestions for parents from his new e-book: How To Keep Your Kids Learning When Schools Are Closed: Tips, Tools and Activities to Help Parents Discover the Power of Summer Learning in the Era of COVID-19. Boulay’s flexible and creative approaches provide an excellent road map to keep kids learning during this summer and beyond.

Liz McChesney, children’s literacy expert and former Director of Children's Services and Family Engagement for the Chicago Public Library System, and Brett Nicholas, Director of Play and Learning at the Du Page Children's Museum, will share from their new book, Pairing STEAM with Stories, to showcase easy to use ways to incorporate literacy and STEAM activities together this summer. Be ready to problem-solve with a hands-on demo that will get you thinking and moving.

Since COVID-19 has forced an abrupt end to traditional learning for the year, there is serious concern about equity gaps being exacerbated at a faster rate throughout this unconventional extended summer.

In order to mitigate these gaps, it is critical that any federal funds provided by Congress to address education needs during this crisis be leveraged to support summer enrichment opportunities and to expand the safety net millions of students need during this global health pandemic and economic fallout.

We hope this guide will provide helpful resources about the federal funds that can be accessed now to support summer learning and enrichment as a critical bridge into a new school year during the COVID-19 health crisis and beyond.

We hope you are enjoying our Voices of Summer webinar series as we explore topics in summer learning with an emphasis on tools and resources available to families, communities, and programs that can keep kids learning and engaged during the current COVID-19 health crisis.

Together with an incredible lineup of expert guest speakers, we have covered a variety of themes from planning virtual program opportunities to social emotional learning at a distance, and the future of summer learning as influenced by the COVID-19 slide.

Stay up-to-date with the latest webinar offerings by updating your subscription profile using the "Update Profile" link at the bottom of the newsletter.

National Summer Learning Week will be here before you know it. For the second consecutive year, NSLA is excited to lead the country during this awareness celebration that aims to elevate the importance of high-quality summer opportunities that keep millions of children and youth safe, healthy and learning every summer.

Post your program to our Summer Learning Week Event Tracker so families in your area can see what your program offers.

We're also calling on families, communities, and summer learning program champions to join us for the #SummerMatters social media challenge. Does your child have a passion for sports? Show us their skills from the park or your backyard. Are you getting creative with new recipes at home? Show us what you've whipped up in the kitchen. You don't have to wait for the week to begin to start sharing now. Just use #SummerMatters and #SummerLearningWeek in your posts.

Finally, what would Summer Learning Week be without resources to help you celebrate summer fun and learning. We're putting together resources and tools, focused on literacy, math, and more, from partners across the country for you to use all summer long. We'll also launch our outreach toolkit with social media posts, newsletter text, and graphics for you to use just in time for the Summer Solstice on June 21st.

Spread the word and raise awareness about National Summer Learning Week by sharing this sample proclamation with your mayor, governor, or local elected official and show how essential summer learning is in closing the achievement and opportunity gaps in America.