EDUCATION PROGRAMS
SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAM
In an effort to provide year-round academic programming and a safe nurturing place to be rather than the streets during the summer, the Joshua Group provides a 9-week Summer Learning Program for low-income Harrisburg PreK-8 students. The Summer Learning Program is academically focused to help students make positive choices. Studies show that low-income children have little access to enrichment programs and thus regress more in reading and math skills during the summer months more than their affluent peers.
Our Summer Learning Program engages 150 low income at-risk PreK-8 students from the Allison Hill neighborhood in a broad range of academic and enrichment actives. The goals and objectives of our Summer Learning Program are to encourage at-risk K-8th grade students to participate regularly, reinforce and complement the regular school year academic curriculum, to make measurable progress in Reading and Math, provide enrichment experiences, and to reduce or eliminate our students’ summer learning losses.
We also strive to provide youth a place to express their creativity and to develop into free thinkers. Each weekday for 4 hours the students move through a range of actives in age-appropriate groups; the curriculum is designed to address identified areas of student weaknesses as well as to be relevant and engage students in a broad range of activities, including: academic lessons in core subject areas, basic Reading and Math skills remediation, enrichment activities, art, STEM sessions, performing art experiences, music classes, nature experiences, educational field trips, nutrition classes, and recreational activities in a safe nurturing environment.
Our Joshua Group Summer Learning Program staff is primarily comprised of Joshua alumni and older high school Joshua students. A few of our college-age Joshua alumni, with support from staff, have designed, planned, and implemented the summer program. The Summer Learning Program also collaborates with other community-based organizations that serve Harrisburg University (STEM classes), Salvation Army (nutrition and fitness classes), Dauphin County Library System (Story Hour), Joshua Farm, and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, which provides students a free breakfast and lunch each day.