John 23 Educational Center Updates

July 2026

July Spark Highlights

Every Day Brought Something New!

☀️📚🎉

There was never a dull moment during July at Summer Spark!

Each day offered a new adventure as students explored academics, creativity, science, and life skills in ways that kept them engaged and excited to learn.

Students put their entrepreneurial minds to work during our Shark Tank Challenge, where they developed business ideas while learning the basics of financial literacy. They also discovered how healthy choices fuel strong bodies during a special nutrition presentation and wrapped up the lesson with an active game that had everyone smiling.

Our classrooms buzzed with teamwork and friendly competition. Students practiced punctuation, challenged themselves with math games, solved reading activities focused on cause and effect, and built confidence through improv exercises and collaborative team challenges. Sportsmanship, encouragement, and perseverance were woven into every activity.

Creativity flourished at our DIY craft stations as students made slime, cloud dough, and oobleck while discovering the fascinating world of atoms and elements. We also spent time focusing on social-emotional wellness by talking about ways to recognize stress and creating calming jars students can use whenever they need a moment to relax.

July reminded us that learning happens in many different ways. Whether students were solving problems, experimenting with science, creating something new, or cheering on a teammate, they were building skills that will benefit them far beyond Summer Spark.

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Thank You for Making the Bright Futures Summer Festival a Success!

Our hearts are full of gratitude as we reflect on our first ever Bright Futures Summer Festival! This event would not have been possible without the generosity, dedication, and enthusiasm of so many individuals, businesses, organizations, volunteers, and community members.

To our sponsors, thank you for believing in the mission of John 23 Educational Center and investing in the future of Racine's youth. Your support allows us to continue providing quality afterschool, tutoring, and summer enrichment programs for students in grades 4–12. Your partnership makes a lasting difference in the lives of the young people we serve.

We would also like to recognize Kari Morey, who served as the co-chair of our festival planning committee. From the very beginning, Kari was a passionate advocate for the Bright Futures Summer Festival. Her strong community connections throughout Racine helped bring people, organizations, and resources together, while her unwavering enthusiasm kept the momentum going every step of the way. Kari's belief in our mission and her dedication to creating an unforgettable event for local families played an instrumental role in this year's success. We are deeply grateful for her leadership, encouragement, and commitment to the youth of our community.

A very special thank you goes to James Thompson II, who dedicated his time to running our Bags Tournament. James's leadership helped make the tournament one of the highlights of the festival. In addition, his generous donation of a significant portion to our Gift Card Wall helped create one of the festival's most popular attractions while raising valuable funds to support our programs. We are incredibly grateful for his generosity.

We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to Salmon-A-Rama for their partnership and support of the Bright Futures Summer Festival. Their commitment to our community has helped make this event possible for our first year. A special thank you to Josh and Jim, whose leadership, collaboration, and willingness to support local youth organizations have made a meaningful impact. We are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you and appreciate all you do to help create brighter futures for the students and families of Racine.

One of the most inspiring moments of the festival was Racine's Got Talent, where several of our students demonstrated incredible courage by stepping onto the stage and sharing their talents with the community. Performing in front of an audience takes confidence, preparation, and bravery, and we couldn't be prouder of each student who participated. Whether they sang, danced, played an instrument, or showcased another unique talent, they reminded us that believing in yourself is one of the greatest achievements of all. Thank you for inspiring all of us with your courage and for representing John 23 Educational Center so well.

A heartfelt thank you also goes to Jesse Booker, who served as the emcee for Racine's Got Talent. Jesse brought incredible enthusiasm, energy, and professionalism to the stage, creating an encouraging atmosphere that helped every performer feel celebrated. Having hosted talent shows like this before, Jesse knows how to engage an audience while making young performers feel confident and valued. His genuine passion for the youth of Racine was evident throughout the evening, and we are deeply grateful for the positive impact he made on our students and our community.

Finally, thank you to everyone who attended the festival, purchased raffle tickets, participated in the Bags Tournament, volunteered your time, or simply stopped by to support our mission. Every raffle ticket purchased, every donation made, and every encouraging conversation helps us continue creating opportunities for local students to learn, grow, and thrive.

Because of your support, we are able to continue investing in brighter futures—one student at a time. Thank you for being part of the John 23 Educational Center family! Look for us next year.

To view pictures and video from the event; check our website, social media or search for us @john23educenter

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YOU Can Make A

Positive Impact

YOU can invest in the future of our students at John 23 Educational Center. Your generosity helps us offer academic support, enrichment activities, meals, and a caring community where every child feels seen and supported. Together, we can open doors to brighter futures.

The Parent Connection

Information & Updates from your Program Manager; Julie Kamphaus

Building Strong Math Foundations

Math can be one of the most challenging subjects for students, especially as they move into middle and high school. Recent research shows that educators identify fluency with basic operations—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division—as one of the biggest obstacles preventing students from succeeding in higher-level math. Fractions, pre-algebra skills, and confidence in basic computation continue to be common areas of struggle.

At Summer Spark, we believe confidence grows through practice, encouragement, and making learning enjoyable. During our Basic Math Skills week, students put their knowledge to the test with Around the World, where friendly competition motivated many participants to sharpen their math facts. We played four exciting rounds featuring addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. While some students eagerly embraced the competitive spirit, others needed a little more encouragement—a reminder that every learner grows at their own pace.

Students also worked together in a team-based Tic-Tac-Toe challenge. Although the rules took a little time to explain, everyone quickly caught on and began strategizing with their teammates. After several best-of-three matches, teams were adjusted to create balanced competition and ensure every student had an opportunity to experience success.

These activities were about much more than solving math problems.

Students strengthened communication, teamwork, perseverance, and problem-solving skills while building confidence in the foundational math concepts they will use throughout school and everyday life. We also connected these lessons to financial literacy, helping students understand that strong math skills are essential for budgeting, saving, shopping wisely, and making informed financial decisions.

At John 23 Educational Center, we know that every correct answer builds confidence, every challenge creates growth, and every game is another opportunity to discover that learning math can be fun