Those children attend their future school for Summer Bridge, reducing some of the intimidation that comes with transitioning from the oldest kid on campus to the youngest. “So, if a student needs before and after care, we have that on-site, as well, at our Summer Bridge programs.”Īustin noted an added benefit for students that recently completed the 5th grade and are heading into middle school. “We partner with all of our local agencies,” she said. In addition to sustaining and improving educational skills, Summer Bridge offers several wraparound benefits, and Austin said the childcare aspect was one reason for the preponderance of younger students. Of those, 12,500 are elementary school students. Parents can still register their kids following that cutoff by contacting individual schools for assistance.Īccording to PCS, over 16,000 children have enrolled in the program, an increase of about 1,000 from last year. Summer Bridge runs though June 30, and families can enroll students online through 5:30 p.m. Expanding Learning reports that 66% of teachers must spend three to four weeks of a new school year reteaching previously learned skills. According to data cited by, kids lose two months of reading skills over the summer. Photo courtesy of PCS.Īustin said students’ reading levels take the hardest hit over the summer break, especially in the youngest children. Kelly Austin, principal of Bellair Elementary, said 100% of students receive benefits from the program. “So, they’re really able to do reading, writing, math, science and language all into one package.” “It’s a science-based theme, and then they also have math embedded, as well,” she said. Teachers incorporate several subjects into a different theme each week Austin said second-graders are currently learning about penguins. “Whether it be academic, social, emotional, behavioral … it’s only going to help them.” “I think 100% of our students are getting some success in some way, shape or form,” said Austin.
Kelly Austin, principal of Bellair Elementary School in Clearwater, said PCS strategically designed Summer Bridge to meet education standards as children move from one grade level to the next, which “kind of gives them a jumpstart.” Michael Grego, PCS continues to evolve the program’s curriculum and expand its benefits, reaching far beyond kids struggling in the classroom. Founded a decade ago by outgoing Superintendent Dr. Summer Bridge provides fun, engaging and educational activities to prepare students for success when the new school year begins. In the hopes of mitigating the learning loss over the break and providing added benefits to parents, Pinellas County Schools (PCS) continues to expand its Summer Bridge program. While the “summer slide” may sound like a fun backyard activity, the loss of learning that occurs when kids take two months away from school is a real problem for educators and students.
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