Prevent Summer Learning Loss at an Educational Summer Camp

Marin Mommies presents a guest article from the staff at Camp Edmo and Camp Edtech on the dangers of summer learning loss and what you can do about it.

Summer is coming and it can be hard to choose the right camp for your child. The choice often depends on the age of the camper and the types of activities. You can choose a general camp, an academic camp, a specialty camp, or a hybrid. If you have a younger child, the choice is up to the parent, of course. Why not choose a camp that provides balance, introduces them to a variety of activities and helps put them on a fun path to learning at an early age?

The Education Foundation states “Informal activities at camps or with families cultivate such things as reading for pleasure and experimenting out of sheer curiosity”.¹ Additionally, studies by John Hopkins University have found all young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Researchers note that children across the socio-economic spectrum lose an average of over two months’ learning from the previous school year in math, science and reading. Cumulatively, from kindergarten through twelfth grade, this counts for three academic years lost!²

Most parents intuitively know that kids forget a lot of what they learned in school over the summer months. What many parents haven't known is how far-reaching the effects of this loss can be. Enriching summer learning opportunities are a must for all children. The Public Agenda survey in 2009 discovered that “87% of parents who did send their children to summer programs that included academic and enrichment activities agreed that the programs helped prepare their children for the school year.” TIME Magazine’s August 2010 issue also made the case for prioritizing summer learning. Summer provides a unique opportunity to cultivate the curiosity, confidence and kindness kids need to become life long learners. According to Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, “We could do lots of creative things in the summer, such as summer camps and enrichment programs. The more time we have with students the better they are going to do.”

Summer offers unrivaled opportunities to inspire curiosity through hands-on, curriculum-aligned learning. Two camps that are a part of the national movement to prevent summer learning loss are Camp Edmo and Camp EdTech, with a location in Marin, as well as in San Francisco, the East Bay, the Peninsula, and the South Bay. These camps—a part of Edventure More, a local non-profit—align their hands-on, curiosity-based learning with California state standards to ensure each child’s personal and academic enrichment.

Camp Edmo, voted Most Inspiring Enrichment Program and Best Summer Day Camp by Bay Area Parent magazine in 2009 and 2010, ignites curiosity in kids from pre-k through entering fourth grade through hands-on, museum-designed arts, science, and animation activities. Each week’s themes are created in partnerships with California Academy of Sciences, Exploratorium, Museum of Children’s Art, and Zeum. Summer 2011 themes include "Incredible Edibles", "Magic and Medieval Times", "Critterville", "Claytoons", "Comic Strips" and "Toy Stories". With college-graduate directors and the camp’s Superstar program, campers build curiosity and gain life skills that last a lifetime!

Camp EdTech, teaches entering fifth through ninth graders how to create, direct, edit, and star in their own short films and animations. or express their unique perspective of the world in their new digital photography and graphic design programs. Their projects are designed in partnership with the Bay Area’s premier digital arts museum, Zeum, and are taught by industry professionals. Each week features camper contests, outdoor recreation, and end-of-the-week movie premiers and gallery showings. Why have your pre-teens and teens just consume media when they can create it this summer?

According to Ed Caballero, co-founder and executive director of Edventure More, in a survey of nearly 1,000 parents conducted in 2010, 96% of parents reported that their child’s “enthusiasm for science, art, animation, or recreation increased after attending these camps.” 87% stated that “I believe the hands-on learning my child did at camp will have school year benefits”. 90% of those who were surveyed at Camp EdTech said, their child “Was proud of him/herself and the projects he/she created at camp.”

So, the end goal is to keep your child’s brain active, along with their body and spirit. With that goal in mind, go to the camp fairs, learn about the different goals of the camp, and choose accordingly. After all, who doesn’t want their child to get smarter and have a great summer?

<sup>1. Education Foundation, “The Learning Season Executive Summary 2007”
2. Alexander, et al., 2007</sup>