On average, low-income children start school 12-14 months behind their peers. And once summer begins, these students can lose 2-3 months of math and reading skills. Over time, these students can fall 2-3 entire grade levels behind their peers by the end of 5th grade.

It's called the "Summer Slide."
United Way is determined to fight for the success of our students and increase quality summer learning opportunities. The Lehigh Valley Summer Learning Coalition is a group of more than 50 community organizations and schools that are committed to fighting summer learning loss across the Lehigh Valley. Together, we work hard to ensure that all kids, regardless of income or age, have access to affordable and high-quality summer programs.

Making a Difference
From 2016 to 2018, Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton saw a 5% increase in the number of school-aged children engaged in summer learning programs. Even more impressively, we saw a 37% increase in the number of low-income elementary students engaged in school-based summer learning programs in the Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton school districts . This is due to increased United Way funding, grant funding, continuous effort on behalf of the LVSLC, and a record of success from our results-driven and data-driven school-based summer programs.
Our Programs are Effective
According to the Wallace Foundation’s report, 120 hours of summer programming or more was effective in reducing the effects of the summer slide. In 2016, 18% of our students were receiving dosages of 120 hours or more. In 2018, this number doubled to 36%. Not only is the number of students engaged rising, but the number of hours they stay engaged is rising, too.
Summer Learning Success:
Allentown School District
In 2018, Allentown School District offered the first district-wide summer program in the Lehigh Valley. Serving approximately 900 students and hosted at elementary schools across Allentown, district leadership made an important step to close the achievement gap and help students not only maintain, but advance their math and literacy skills over the summer.
Through tested and effective reading comprehension and mathematics lessons, 81% of students who participated maintained their skills from the previous school year or learned new skills for the upcoming year.
Parent Surveys: Summer is Fun and Educational
We conducted parent surveys, and the results were excellent:

  • One parent said her child “would come home every day talking about the things they learned in the morning, and then in the afternoon, the fun activities they would do.” Not only are our programs teaching our kids, they’re engaging them, also.

  • When asked about her thoughts on how effective the program was, one mother said “Actually, it helped a lot with the reading. Because my children were a little behind, it actually put them on grade level.” We are seeing real effects of these programs. It can be the extra push someone needs to start achieving at their full potential.

  • This “extra push” is great for a child’s self-esteem and self-worth. One mother remembers her daughter “was always a grade and a half behind in reading. She was frustrated, and would say ‘I’ll never get there.’ Then, when she brought home her report card most recently, she said ‘Mom, I’m on grade level!’ She was so happy about herself.”
Hunger doesn't take a summer vacation.
For those who don’t have reliable access to food at home, summer programs are a great way to ensure meals are provided on a regular basis. In Summer 2018, 146,850 meals were served to kids in our programs.

 That staggering number is proof that these programs not only provide a safe space to learn and play, but are also vital to the health of the communities they serve.
Summer Learning Success:
The Greater Valley YMCA
The Greater Valley YMCA noticed an essential chance to close the opportunity gap for summer learning. They saw a need in the community for childcare as well as continued learning and have by all accounts had great success in achieving that goal, serving hundreds of children each year.
Summer Learning Champion:
Crayola
United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Summer Learning Coalition are pleased to recognize Crayola as a 2018 corporate champion and sponsor for Summer Learning. Crayola, a brand that is instantly recognizable for their connection to creativity, believes all children should have access to summer learning opportunities irrespective of their zip code.
What More Can We Do?

There is still so much work to be done! The poverty rate across all three districts has increased, and with an increase in population due to events like displacement caused by Hurricane Maria, our need is much greater. We can meet this need, but we need more funding. A landmark report on summer programming suggests $1,500 per student be spent for a program to be as effective as it can be.

There are many reasons to invest this kind of money into summer learning. Researchers weighed the costs against savings to the state of Vermont from the long and short-term benefits of high-quality expanded learning and found significant savings as a result. The study showed that for every dollar spent on programs such as these, three dollars is saved in the long term.

Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton school districts invested $985,000 into their summer learning programs. There were 1,397 kids in attendance in total. This means about $705 per student is being spent per student on summer learning. Our districts need further community support to reach the recommended cost of summer programming at $1,500 per student. More investment in summer learning is needed to ensure quality education for all.