For millions of students, this is a summer like no other in the history of American public education. The last day of the school year was followed by a brief pause before classes started again. That’s because districts across the country expanded summer school — and in some cases required it — to make up for a year of disrupted classes during the pandemic.

The stakes are particularly high for students who have lost the most during months of remote learning. Educators say they are especially concerned about students living in poverty, English-language learners and students with disabilities. But kids of all ages — from kindergarten to high school — suffered academically and emotionally during months of isolation. Many school districts want to help them catch up this summer so they’re ready when school resumes in the fall.

“This summer is so important to help young people reconnect with friends, peers and educators after such a difficult year,” said Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in a message supporting National Summer Learning Week, an initiative in mid-July sponsored by the nonprofit organization National Summer Learning Association.

Research on summer school before the pandemic showed slim evidence that it helps improve reading and math scores. Still, educators across the country are hoping this year’s efforts — from a push to close early learning gaps in Texas to a summer program in Oregon that helps kids who are learning English — will make a difference.

Many of these programs got a boost from more than $1 billion in federal funds dedicated to summer under the American Rescue Plan. That windfall enabled some districts to add more students than they have enrolled in years past and others to experiment with new programs to help with pandemic learning loss.

“As a country, every single child is going to be behind,” said Jaclyn Forkner, a special education teacher leading a class of third through sixth grade summer school students at Holcomb Elementary School in Oregon City, Oregon. “So I’m more on the side of: ‘Is everyone OK mentally? Socially?’”

The enrichment summer school program at her school is helping with that, she thinks. “It’s awesome,” she said. “They’re having fun.”

Here’s a look at how the summer is going for students around the country.

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My first “real” job was as a camp counselor at the local Boys and Girls Club in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. I spent the summer ensuring middle school students had fun while learning. I would stay up late thinking of new lessons to teach or a motivating message I would recite during our morning check-ins. I appreciated each high five, smile, and even a few tears as camp concluded as I got ready for my next semester at UNC-Chapel Hill. Occasionally, I would see my “students” when I visited home at the grocery store or church. I was always surprised that they remembered our special handshakes, mostly because I had forgotten them. I loved being a camp counselor. I loved the young people I met and hopefully positively influenced.

That feeling of nostalgia is happening across the country with even greater importance than when I served. Organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, faith organizations, park and recreation centers, and others are stepping up to provide safe, engaging environments for students who desperately need a sense of normalcy. The need for building and, in some cases, rebuilding positive relationships with peers and trusting adults is paramount this summer, along with the traditional necessity for high-quality academic support. Some programs set up vaccination centers for their adolescent students eligible for the vaccine, while others are taking the necessary precautions to ensure our youngest learners are safe while they learn and have fun this summer.

This week, we celebrate National Summer Learning Week, sponsored by the National Summer Learning Association, highlighting and bringing awareness to the great work organizations and governmental entities are embarking on to provide students with a “summer like no other” after a “year we will not forget.” Secretary Cardona, elected officials, and others are visiting summer sites across the country to bring awareness to the importance of quality summer programming, many that expanded this year due to the investment of the American Rescue Plan (ARP). As a result, millions of students across the country are experiencing the joys of summer enrichment, maybe even for the first time due to the ARP’s investments in summer learning and loss of instructional time. While summer learning is a critical component of our work to reopen our schools and “build back better,” the truth is that quality, engaging summer learning is simply part of excellent education and something that every student must be able to access.

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Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said he intends to make Summer Learning Week an annual event.

The Accelerating Summer Learning Opportunities mini-grants will be given to programs within Newark Thrives! – a network that provides opportunities for kids when they are out of school. The grants are as follows:

• The Gem Project: $5,000;
• Abbott Leadership Institute: $2,000;
• Mighty Writers: $2,000;
• Bricks 4 Kidz: $1,000.

The mini-grants will go to support 4-6 week summer learning experiences for youth throughout the Greater Newark area.

“The City of Newark is proud to join the State of New Jersey and United Way of Greater Newark in proclaiming the inaugural Summer Learning Week as a way to strengthen the educational development of one of Newark’s most important resources – our youth,” Baraka said.

“I commend United Way of Greater Newark for getting much-needed resources into the hands of the incredible organizations that are expanding access to quality summer and out-of-school learning opportunities for Newark families. As we prepare students to return to school in September, this community effort will also help us move Newark forward to a more equitable and educated city.”

United Way of Greater Newark CEO Catherine Wilson said the grants will have great impact.

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