Horizons Program in Simsbury Partners With LEGO

SIMSBURY, CT — Horizons National has been awarded $100,000 from the LEGO Community Fund U.S., of which $80,000 will be allocated to Horizons at The Ethel Walker School to launch the "Hands-on, Minds-on Approach to Inspiring Girls’ Interest in STEAM" initiative.

Horizons at The Ethel Walker School is a year-round student enrichment program for girls who attend Hartford Public Schools. Students travel to The Ethel Walker School campus in Simsbury for six weeks in the summer and on Saturdays throughout the school year for Saturday Academy. During Horizons, students focus on strengthening their literacy and math skills, while participating in culturally enriching activities, such as learning to swim, the arts, music, and STEAM.

“Partnering with LEGO is an amazing and transformative opportunity for our students and faculty," said Isabel Ceballos, executive director of Horizons at The Ethel Walker School. “Learning is an ongoing and cumulative experience. One of Horizons’ strengths is that we are committed to our students long term.” When students enter the Horizons program in kindergarten, they stay in the program through their eighth grade summer.

Launching the "Hands-on, Minds-on Approach to Inspiring Girls’ Interest in STEAM" initiative will allow Horizons at The Ethel Walker School to expand their program to include a pre-kindergarten class and build upon their already existing STEAM program.

“We are committed to using a sociocultural lens when creating all programming opportunities for our students, especially when it comes to STEAM. Now we can make sure all of our students are presented with the opportunity to experience STEAM in a recurring, innovative, and age- appropriate way and we are thrilled about it!” said Ceballos.

Horizons at The Ethel Walker School will host a Robotics Exhibition during the summer of 2018 on The Ethel Walker School campus for all Connecticut Horizons programs.

Horizons at The Ethel Walker School will serve 85 students in grades pre-kindergarten through fourth in the summer of 2018, and will continue to grow each year until reaching prekindergarten through eighth grade; serving a total of 143 Hartford girls. Horizons at The Ethel Walker School is the first all-girls Horizons program in the country and the first Horizons program in the Greater Hartford area.

Horizons at The Ethel Walker School is the nation's first all-girls Horizons program in the country which provides underserved students who attend Hartford public schools with a free six-week, academically-focused program. The goals of the Horizons program includes the prevention of summer learning loss; improved school attendance; improved social and interpersonal skills; to build self-esteem, resourcefulness and judgement in students; and to encourage parents to be active in their daughter's education. In addition to academic activities, the girls are provided with daily swimming lessons and enrichment opportunities both on campus and in the community. Summer 2018 will mark the fourth year that the program has been in place at Walker's Simsbury campus.

Story and photo courtesy of The Ethel Walker School