How to Provide Quality Opportunities for Young People in the Summer Months

Summer provides an opportunity to advance multiple goals for children and youth. Summer program participants have the potential to learn, make new friends, feel safe, develop a new hobby, exercise, eat well, receive mentoring, and more. Public funding for summer programs often supports children and youth with particular needs, such as children from under-resourced families who tend to be disadvantaged during the summer in terms of not just academic growth but also access to nutritious meals and enriching activities. Despite widespread recognition that the summer period is an opportunity to advance developmental goals for children and youth, funding for summer programming is at risk.

This paper summarizes knowledge about kindergarten through grade 12 summer programs in the United States. The authors discuss evidence for academic programs, employment programs, recreational programs, and programs that address specific health or behavioral needs. The authors also consider the implications of the evidence base for practice, policy, and funding to help communities effectively leverage the opportunity of summertime to advance academic and developmental growth among children and youth. The findings are intended for government policymakers, philanthropic funders, district and school leaders, and community, county, and city organizations interested in creating, sustaining, and spreading quality summer program opportunities.