Submitted by South Sound YMCA
Evaluation results show Olympia, North Thurston and Tumwater 2-5 grade students enrolled in Power Scholars Academy at the South Sound YMCA powered by BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life) gained 2 months in literacy skills and 2.5 months in math skills.
Power Scholars Academy was launched in 2013 by the YMCA of the USA and BELL in collaboration with local YMCA associations and schools as an academic and enrichment program to prevent summer slide, which reverses achievement gains made during the school year. The Power Scholars Academy summer program at the South Sound YMCA blended rigorous literacy and math instruction with hands-on enrichment, social emotional development, and community engagement.
“I’m a Scholar,” says Jimmy. “I love the program, teachers and the fun stuff we do. Power Scholars Academy is helping me read better and makes learning fun. I’m coming back next year!”
Kyle Cronk, President/CEO of the South Sound YMCA added,
“Because of the support and partnership of our three local school districts (North Thurston, Olympia and Tumwater) and targeted philanthropy, the Y was able to triple 2016 enrollment. Clearly the program works and the more kids we reach the better!”
According to evaluation surveys, 82 percent of teachers reported an increase in the self-confidence of enrolled students, known as scholars and 82 percent of parents reported their children having a better ability to overcome challenges. The impact of Power Scholars Academy reverberated through their circles of support as well. Surveys show 68 percent of parents say they are more involved in their child’s education and 73 percent of educators say the program helped them improve their professional skills.
An estimated 7.5 million K-8 students from underserved communities are performing significantly below grade level, and up to two-thirds of the academic achievement gap is due to lack of access to summer learning programs. To address this challenge, BELL partners with strong local organizations to design and deploy holistic, scalable summer and afterschool learning experiences utilizing BELL’s comprehensive evidence-based out-of-school-time education solution.
“These academic outcomes and survey results confirmed once again that increasing access to high-quality learning experiences beyond the school year helps students get ahead when they return to school in the fall,” says BELL CEO Dr. Lauren Sanchez Gilbert.
This summer, nearly 7,500 scholars participated in Power Scholars Academy programs in 91 sites in 28 states and the District of Columbia.
