Thousands of School Children Participating in Summer Programs Across Boston

Over 6,500 Boston school children have enrolled in 78 summer learning programs. Mayor Marty Walsh and Superintendent of schools Tommy Chang joined together to make the announcement Monday.

Each program is in diverse, non-traditional settings around the city as part of the Boston Summer Learning Project, a coordinated public-private effort boosted by nearly $2 million in private funding.

The Mayor also issued a challenge for additional innovative programs to join the Boston Summer Learning Community. He hopes to enroll 10,000 school children in 100 summer learning programs over the next two years.

“When we create opportunities for our young people we set them on a pathway to a successful future, and build a stronger city,” said Mayor Walsh. “I thank our partners for their support, and urge more summer programs to get involved to support our future.”

The programs are unlike traditional summer schools. The Boston Summer Learning Project immerses youth in new, exciting environments.

Each program is full-day and offers a comprehensive list of enrichment activities to complement more formal academic instruction. All 78 sites use the same set of measurement tools to assess program quality and student skill development from multiple perspectives.

The Boston Summer Learning Project is part of a national study, funded by The Wallace Foundation, on how summer learning affects academic performance and social-emotional development.

The program was first launched in 2010.