THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS ENROLL IN LARGEST SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM EVER CONDUCTED
Harrisburg, PA – Mayor Stephen R. Reed today reported that nearly 3,000 city school students will participate in a wide array of summer educational programs offered by the Harrisburg School District, ranging from literacy courses and English as a Second Language classes to graduation credit courses, Pre-K Summer School and high school preparatory work. It is the largest summer school program ever conducted in the City.
The Mayor said the District’s extensive summer learning program is designed to assist students in study areas where weaknesses have been identified and to better prepare them for academic life in the upcoming school year. The programs offered involve every age group and grade, and include students from pre-school through high school.
"Summertime is an excellent period to strengthen our students’ academic skills and to prepare them for the challenges of the coming school year," said Reed. "It also gives teachers the time necessary to individually address each student’s specific needs and areas for improvement, and concentrate our tutoring and other teaching services on those students and subjects that need the most support.
"This extensive summer school series also helps keep City youth productively engaged during the days of summer."
Reed also noted that the District’s extensive summer learning activities have been provided free of charge to students, and that free breakfasts and lunches have also been provided to participating city youth, many of whom would not otherwise receive such care and attention with no adult supervision during the daytime hours.
The Mayor said the summer school program is categorized by academic grade levels and that some of the programs for each grade level include:
The PreK Summer Program
- Offers structured daily learning and play sessions for over 350 three- and four-year-olds, many of whom will be entering Kindergarten during the coming school year
The Grades K-8 Summer Program
- Offers services to over 900 registered students including breakfast and lunch each day and classrooms of 15 students, each with a teacher, aide and tutor
- Morning tutoring in reading and afternoon enrichment for Grades K-2
- Morning tutoring in math and afternoon enrichment for Grades 3-7
- The Character Education Program (by the Philadelphia Urban Family Council), tutoring in math and introductions to high school for Grade 8
- Various field trips determined on a site-by-site basis
- Community partnerships with the Dauphin County Systems of Care, Salvation Army, Urban Family Council, Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts
- Athletic events including soccer (coaching by players from Hershey Wildcats) and swimming (Camp Curtain YMCA)
- PATHS lessons for children in Grades K-5
The Grades 9-12 Summer Program
- Sci-Tech High School, offering over 20 academic and enrichment classes to over 250 students; the Bridge Program for Grade 9; the Johns Hopkins University Summer Engineering Program, offering college credits to nearly 20 students
- John Harris Campus Programs, including 11th and 12th Grade summer school for nearly 180 students in the credit recovery program; the 9th and 10th Grade Summer Bridge Academy Program in August, including 300 students in Grade 9 and 250 Students in Grade 10; Summer Athletic Programs and Weight Training Programs, involving 110 students
Other Summer Programs Include:
- Camp Shikelimy, an outdoor program for 60 students to teach photography and computer science
- The Junior Police Academy, this year including 50 students
- The Special Education Summer Extension Program, including over 110 students
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