Last spring, we looked to summer with hopes that the 2021-2022 school year would be different, easier, better. In many ways it was. Students returned to their school buildings, we had months of lower COVID rates and some of kids’ favorite learning strategies—like group projects, stations and flexible seating—came back.To get more news about summer school, you can visit wikifx.com official website.

In other ways, this school year was harder. Earlier this year, America’s pediatricians and the U.S. Surgeon General declared youth mental health a national emergency. We are in the midst of historic teacher and substitute shortages. COVID remains, and students are still getting sick, or going to school with fears of catching the virus.
For many, last summer focused on lost learning; this summer should focus on making sure kids are ready and well when next year starts.
Many students and staff are simply limping towards the last day of this school year. The cumulative effects of two years of pandemic life have caught up and the consequences are more apparent than ever, from mental health issues, to troubling student behaviors, to sheer burnout and exhaustion. This was also the year when schools became the centerpiece of America’s culture wars—with educators being regularly accused of and reported for teaching divisive topics, infringing on parental rights, and—in most recently—being labeled as “groomers” and accused of pedophilia.

Now, with summer almost here, district and school teams are making final plans about what to do with students over break. According to the Center for Reinventing Public Education, more than half of districts plan to use federal recovery dollars to support summer programming. Beyond learning loss—or what some now call “unfinished learning”—these decision makers must consider the longer-term recovery needs and realities of students and staff. For many, last summer focused on lost learning; this summer should focus on making sure kids are ready and well when next year starts.

Thanks to the Elementary and Secondary School Relief Fund (ESSER) schools have extra funds and flexibility to offer all kinds of summer learning experiences. Last year, ESSER dollars propelled innovative district-community partnerships, which offered much more than “summer school.” In places like San Diego and Santa Fe, school districts worked alongside youth programs and museums to offer experiences that felt and looked more like summer camp.

To get a sense of what schools should prioritize in their summer planning, I reached out to some of the most innovative and beloved summer learning programs to ask them what they are focusing on in the months ahead. All three are different in design, but are going into this summer with five shared priorities: giving kids learning options that (1) don’t feel like school, (2) focus on healthy relationships, (3) provide voice and choice, (4) are joyful and fun, (5) are able to re-energize and replenish. Here are some of the most innovative programs operating today.
Last year, Tulsa initiated “Ready, Set, Summer” a joint effort between Tulsa Public Schools and the Opportunity Project, to offer summer learning opportunities to all Tulsa Public School Students. Almost every school had its own program, offering kids enrichment and acceleration activities, with a focus on joyful learning over academic remediation.

This year, “Ready, Set, Summer” is happening at 21 school sites across the cities, offering all public school families full-day, full-week summer learning options supervised by certified teachers, youth workers, and teaching assistants. As Tulsa Public Schools’ Director of Expanded Learning, Jessica Goodman, told me, “Ready, Set, Summer” gives students plenty of ways to learn in fun and innovative ways. The proof of their success is evident in the numbers. Jessica shared that some summer sites have already filled up, with many teachers saying they’re excited to be a part of the program again. According to staff surveys, last summer was “cup filling,” teachers’ favorite summer ever, and a much-needed opportunity to enjoy students and the school community.