Thousands of students across the city will be engaged in project-based learning and extracurricular programming over the next six weeks as the School District of Philadelphia officially kicked off its summer learning program.
School District of Philadelphia administrators and city officials launched the summer programming at the William Hunter Elementary School in Kensington last Monday.
District officials originally announced plans for the summer programming for students in April. Nearly 15,000 students have registered for in-person summer programming — more than double the enrollment of previous years.
“These programs will engage students in a strong academic curriculum, provide personalized attention and enrichment and help prepare them for academic success in the next school year and beyond,” said Malika Savoy-Brooks, chief academic support officer of the School District of Philadelphia in a statement.
The summer programs will operate in close to 30 schools across the city for students entering grades 1-12. Students will engage in enrichment activities including art and sports throughout the week and a full day summer experience each Friday.
The district’s summer learning programming is through a partnership with the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Children and Families and its network of Out-of-School Time (OST) providers.
The city will also provide opportunities to students through “PlayItSafePHL,” an initiative that connects more than 32,000 children, teens and families with in-person summer activities.
“We are excited to provide children and youth from across Philadelphia with exciting summer opportunities,” Cynthia Figueroa, deputy mayor of the city’s Office of Children and Families, said in a statement.
“The partnership with the city, the school district, and our OST providers will provide a well-rounded summer camp and learning experience for students,” she added. “We are grateful for the commitment and collaboration that made these programs a reality.”
