$2M In County Money To Support Students Through HoCo STRIVES

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — To help close the achievement gap in Howard County, $2 million in county money will be set aside to support HoCo STRIVES (Strategies to Reach an Inclusive Vision and Equitable Solutions), which is an umbrella for the many initiatives in place to address the achievement gap and address learning loss brought on by the pandemic.

“The past two years have been especially challenging for our students, families and educators. The pandemic exacerbated already existing disparities in student learning levels,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said. “Our $2 million investment is a 167 percent increase in funding compared to last fiscal year. This vital initiative includes afterschool and summer programming, mental health services and free meals. The investments we are making now will have a positive impact on our children and families, especially those who have less opportunities and ensure they have the resources to be successful.”

This year’s investment builds on Ball’s efforts to support learning loss during summer break. In his first and second budget he included $400,000 to support HoCo STRIVES. In anticipation of learning loss from the pandemic, for fiscal year 2022, Ball included $750,000 towards HoCo STRIVES funding.

The largest portion of funding for this year, $720,000, will support social and emotional learning programs including:

• Summer Scholars Program: In its fifth year, the Summer Scholars program prepares middle school students for high school with academic subjects and social emotional skills needed to graduate and prepare for college and career. The program is done in partnership with the Office of the Local Children’s Board, Howard County Public School System and the nonprofit Leaders for Tomorrow Youth Center.
• Community Based Summer Learning: This initiative expands Summer Scholars into the community for elementary school students for the first time. The LCB will be piloting two community-based Summer Scholars camps in Howard Crossing and Long Reach. The programs will operate for a full day offering breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack.
• Afterschool Scholars: Offered at Deep Run Elementary School to provide after-school supports to communities where pre-existing gaps were exacerbated by the pandemic. Also provides support for families with free English language tutoring.
• Family Support Center: This new center, which will be operated by the department of community resources and services, will expand human services with a specific focus on the youngest families (prenatal to age 3).
• Community Partner Gants: The LCB invested in six non-profit organizations this year that provided a range of services including afterschool programming, summer programming and family engagement.

Additional STRIVES funding will go towards

• Free meals for students
• Workforce development for youth
• Mental health services for under and uninsured families
• Supporting community partnerships and local leadership teams

"I am grateful to the county executive and many community partners for prioritizing summer programming for our students and for all the extraordinary staff who are teaching and supporting students," Michael J. Martirano, superintendent of HCPSS, said. "Summer programs provide opportunities for students to recover instruction, maintain progress on their learning goals, receive academic supports, develop social emotional learning strategies, and accelerate their learning."