They want kids in this special neighborhood to stay educated in the summer, so here’s what they’re doing

Between 25 and 30 percent of what kids learn in school is lost over the summer, according to an academic study.

This learning loss is why Clark State is teaming up with the Springfield Promise Neighborhood to offer a free literacy camp for children this summer and a free college credit course for parents. The camp is open to students, grades Pre-K through 3, who live in the Springfield Promise Neighborhood.

“What we want to do is basically bridge a gap,” said Kanesha Scott, STEM programming manager for Clark State. “We want to help prevent the summer learning loss and keep them active.”

IN-DEPTH COVERAGE: Five years of Promise

This is the first time the community college has partnered with Springfield Promise for this type of program. The literacy camp will follow another summer camp held by Springfield Promise Neighborhood and Clark State’s College for Teens and Kids.

The Springfield Promise Neighborhood works to decrease poverty in a 110-block area in Springfield that encompasses Lincoln, Perrin Woods, Kenwood and Fulton elementary schools. Close to 1/3 of the of the residents are at or below the poverty line, and nearly every student at Lincoln Elementary qualifies for free and reduced lunch.

One of Springfield Promise’s main strategies is to alleviate poverty through the academic and social success of children. Last year, Springfield Promise received a $137,000 AmeriCorps grant from ServeOhio to help the neighborhood and promise zone expand through the PromiseCorps program.

Dr. Bob Welker, director of Springfield Promise Neighborhood, said there are 15 PromiseCorps members in the four elementary schools helping students improve their reading levels. Welker said the number of members will increase to 20 this year.

RELATED: $137K grant to help Springfield Promise Neighborhood expand

He said Springfield Promise is still collecting data on literacy rates, but improvement from the PromiseCorps program is already visible. He hopes the new literacy camp will only build on the success.

“The teachers are telling us they’re growing at a rate that’s more than the growth rate that you would expect in a year of instruction,” Welker said.

For Springfield Promise parents, Clark State is offering a free, customized First Year Experience course that is worth one credit hour. Scott said the class will focus on going back to school or gaining skills to be valuable in the workplace.

“It’ll serve many purposes to try to get them into some sort of completion,” Scott said. “Whether that be anything from GED on up.”

Zach Cohn, director of the PromiseCorps program at Springfield Promise, said the literacy camp will provide a unique experience for kids and their parents to learn simultaneously.

“We want parents to be in this environment. We want parents to be involved in their kid’s learning,” Cohn said. “I think a kid’s learning shoots up lot when they see parents doing the same thing.”

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