To succeed in school and life, children need the opportunity to learn and grow.  This is especially true when it comes to the summer months and for the majority of the students served at Omaha’s community learning center sites.  In the summer months, families struggle to access educational opportunities, meet their basic needs with healthy meals or provide appropriate adult supervision. 
Numerous studies show that summer learning opportunities improve academic outcomes for youth.  High quality summer learning opportunities lead to advanced graduation rates and better preparation for post high school. 

Collective for Youth’s community partners have focused their efforts on prioritizing high quality summer learning for students.  Because of secured funding and resources, all of Omaha’s community learning center sites are providing enrichment experiences with trips to museums, parks, theaters and libraries.  Students are able to participate in hands on learning to practice their math, science and reading skills along with building their confidence and life skills!

Nebraskan for Civic Reform students at Sherman Elementary were able learn through a series of service learning projects that ended in students painting several food pantries.  Boys and Girls Club Mount View students participated in science experiments examining the phases of matter with balloon experiments.  Students with Completely KIDS went on lots of field trips.  Just to name a few- students went to the Durham, the Sumer Arts Festival, the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo- and they even went fishing.  Students with the YMCA participated in Power Scholars- a program designed to help enhance skills in subjects such as reading and math. 

School may stop in the summer but our community partners are ensuring that learning doesn’t stop!
Check out the life changing experiences our students are having this summer in photos provided to us from Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands, Completely KIDS, the YMCA and Nebraskans for Civic Reform.

To view more photos of some of what our students have been up to this summer please click here.

Learn more about the importance of summer learning here!