What began as an effort to address the “summer slide” that students often experience between school years marks its 15th anniversary this summer, with many a full circle success story to tell.
Like that of Karen Munez, who attended Summit 54’s Summer Advantage program at Crystal River Elementary School (CRES) in Carbondale and now works as a teaching assistant at Glenwood Springs Elementary School while studying to become a full-time teacher.
Or of Macy Wilson, who was one of the very first Summer Advantage students in 2012 and returns this summer as a teaching assistant in the program while also completing her studies at Texas Tech University.
“These stories are exactly why this work matters,” Summit 54 co-founder Terri Caine said. “To see students who once sat in these classrooms now return to mentor and support the next generation is incredibly powerful.”
Once again, three Roaring Fork Valley elementary schools are abuzz with learning activities this summer, thanks to a unique partnership between the Aspen-based nonprofit founded by Terri and Tony Caine and the Roaring Fork Schools.
Fifteen years ago, the Caines were looking to give back to the community in a way that would have lasting impact and that wasn’t already being addressed in some manner.
“Summer learning is a very important aspect of education,” Terri Caine said during a recent morning of summer school at Crystal River as students filed through the hallway headed to class.
“Our community also recognizes the importance of education. Without a summer program, national statistics validate that children will regress as much as three or four months over the summer.”
The Roaring Fork School District sees that same trend to varying degrees, which means a good bit of the beginning of each school year is always spent trying to get students caught back up, especially in the elementary grades.
Each summer since 2012, Summer Advantage has served more than 600 students between Glenwood Springs, Carbondale and Basalt who were preparing for first, second, third, fourth and fifth grades.
Data shows that students who can continue learning through the summer months, instead of sliding backwards, are often advancing as much as four months in their learning by the time they officially start their new grade in August, Caine said.
“It’s an important program, the children need it, and our community recognizes that and is happy to support it,” she said of the more than 100 individual and institutional donors who help fund the free summer program each year.
The program includes academics during the morning sessions, enrichment programs in the arts and sciences during the afternoons, and a Friday field trip each week. Meals are also included.
About 40 teachers, many of them classroom teachers during the regular school year, provide instruction for the summer program, allowing them to earn extra pay besides their regular school district paychecks.
Joel Suarez is the assistant program manager for Summer Advantage at CRES, and has been involved with the program since 2014.
He was instrumental in helping Summer Advantage rebrand as Summer Success through the pandemic years when classes moved to 23 different outdoor park settings from Basalt to Glenwood.
“I also taught fourth and fifth grade, and did the STEM programming,” said Suarez, who teaches high school computer science in Greeley during the regular school year. “I just love coming back here every summer.”
Kyle-Leigh Berry is a second grade teacher at CRES and has been involved with Summer Advantage for 14 years as a program manager. She also manages Summit 54’s after-school tutoring program during the regular school year.
“It gives me an opportunity to see the other side of things that don’t involve being in the classroom … hiring, leading parent meetings, preparing for field trips, and just getting to know the kids on a broader level,” she said.
Tutoring became a crucial service during the pandemic, while students were attending school online and after they returned to the classroom, Berry said.
“I think the whole idea of Summer Advantage has taken away from some of those old negative stereotypes about summer school, and that it’s just for the kids who didn’t do well in school,” she added.
“The kids look forward to it and they love it because it allows them to continue that connection with other students and their teachers.”
Caine added that the Summer Advantage program also takes a load off of working families who otherwise must line up and pay for day care for their younger children during the summer, or worry about having unsupervised older children at home.
“It’s just a real win-win for these families,” she said.
Summer Advantage classes continue through July 17.