The Challenge
Across our country, many students face inequities in access to Pre-K, technology, cultural enrichment, the arts, and more – resulting in gaps in vocabulary, academic and social-emotional skills, creativity, and health that have a profound impact on student achievement, engagement, and individual life success.
- The academic achievement gap on average is 6 months in Kindergarten and widens to 3 years by 5th grade
- 2-3 months are typically lost in reading and math over the summer, and this loss becomes cumulative
- A 6th grade student who misses more than 20% of class, whose teacher reports poor behavior, or who fails math or English has a 70% likelihood of dropping out
- Low-income students are 6 times more likely to drop out of high school and less likely to enroll in college
- Young adults with a college degree earn more than twice as much as those without a high school credential
Especially during the summer months, out-of-school programs may be costly or offer limited options for transportation and activities, leaving many families unable to participate. These gaps in opportunity all contribute to students experiencing summer learning loss - the cumulative erosion of academic skills over the summer months, which over time can leave students years behind in school, contributing to chronic absenteeism and high school drop-out rates. On average, a student who does not experience enriching summer activities can lose up to 2 months in academic skills.
Horizons National Chicago addresses opportunity gaps by offering our range of academic and healthy youth development programs to the community. Students benefit from long term participation in our signature six-week summer learning program and through after school and special weekend programs.