If you hear “summer school,” and this (above) is what you imagine, it’s time for a major summer learning image overhaul.
Summer learning doesn’t have to mean summer school. At least not in the remedial or punitive sense most of us came to know. Rather than holding onto an old vision of what summer learning looks like, urban districts around the country are keeping the school in summer, but are overhauling what the learning looks like.
Here in Providence, we’ve partnered with the Providence Public School District to completely reimagine how young people could and should learn during the summer. And a lot of that is about how they interact with their schools, teachers, community, one another, and the learning process itself.
A picture’s worth a thousand words, so take a look at the new face of summer learning!
Kyle Labbe, Vinny Texeira, and Erick Gonzalez enjoy relaxing with a game of chess during afternoon free choice time in Club AfterZone at Nathanael Greene Middle School
Nathan Bishop Middle School students in the Save the Bay program explore the RI shoreline with their teacher Glenn Zienowicz
Students in the Audubon Society program work hands-on with their program provider to learn about local ecosystems
Students at Nathanael Greene Middle School take a break from learning to play a “Hunger Games” challenge organized by AfterZone educator Amanda Nanni
Club AfterZone gives middle school students the ability to choose a different activity every afternoon. It can be a sport, a game, or simply quiet time. Here Lesley Perez and Destiny Soeum relax while making friendship bracelets.
Middle School students working with Southside Community Land Trust spent their summer learning the science of growing food and caring for plants
 discusses the results of juicing different types of fruits and vegetables with her g.jpg)
Jen Saarinen of the Summer Harvest STEM team (sponsored by Davis Park Community Garden and Elmhurst Clean & Green) discusses the results of juicing different types of fruits and vegetables with her group. Juices and fun were had shortly after this was taken.
Students in the RiverzEdge program spent their summer learning engineering by studying how various machines work. They kicked off their investigation with a visit to the swan boats in Roger Williams Park.
Summer school: The Redux.