Key points:
Summer is full of learning opportunities that many children miss. When back-to-school season begins, some kids are already starting behind. That’s all due to a lack of access to high-quality programs and resources. Throughout our years working with schools and families, we’ve seen firsthand how the summer months can either widen or close opportunity gaps for children.
At the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), we always say: “Summer isn’t just a season. It’s a strategy.” NSLA works to ensure that all of America’s students, regardless of background, income, or zip code, can access and benefit from high-quality summer learning experiences each and every year. The research shows that the opportunity gap grows most dramatically during the summer, when school is out. By fifth grade, low-income students fall two and a half to three years behind their middle-class peers. At NSLA, we work to find ways to stop that deficit.
Learning support that families and schools really want
Genuine summer engagement begins with understanding what families and school leaders actually value. It also involves recognizing where those priorities sometimes diverge. The key is making summer learning fun and engaging.
Recent Gallup data from NSLA reveals that 91 percent of superintendents view summer programs as key to reaching district goals, with most prioritizing academic recovery and skill maintenance in reading, math, and STEM. In 2026, despite the expiration of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and other federal funding, 63 percent of superintendents said their in-school programs were over or at capacity. That is a powerful reminder that summer really matters to families and communities.
But access is uneven.
Through the American Camp Association, we found that about 30 million young people (55 percent of America’s 54 million kids) participated in organized summer opportunities in summer 2024. Only about 11 million of the 25 million low-income students, or about 38 percent, have access to programs, compared with 50 percent of middle-class kids and 67 percent of high and upper-income children. Participation overall is strong, but the opportunity is not equal. Cost is another barrier: Forty-eight percent of parents surveyed wish their children could have participated in a program, but couldn’t because of cost or scheduling conflicts with work or other obligations.
In addition to logistics, we need to understand what parents value. Parents overwhelmingly say they want summer to be fun. They are looking for enrichment programs that focus on the whole child–social skills, confidence, friendships, and new experiences. This matters because when programs are designed purely for remediation, families are not as motivated to enroll. Conversely, when programs only offer enrichment without a learning intention, districts don’t see the outcomes they need. That misalignment shows us that the strongest summer programs combine joy and engagement with learning and skill building. Understanding this balance leads to the ultimate success for families and schools alike.
The three Rs
Once we understand what families look for in summer learning, we can design summer learning experiences around three foundational principles: relationships, routines, and realistic support. These principles offer the enrichment desired from families while maintaining learning and skill development during the summer months.
Relationships
Relationships are the single most important ingredient in summer learning. Kids don’t remember worksheets; they remember the camp counselor who taught them about constellations, or the librarian who helped them discover their new favorite book series. When children feel known, they take risks; when they feel valued, they participate; when they feel safe, they learn.
Summer programs can be where the struggling reader begins to be seen as a kid who loves graphic novels, or where the child with an attention issue becomes the animal expert in the class. Learning doesn’t have to be separate from fun; it can be literacy in a makerspace, science in nature, or math in cooking. All of these activity models align with what parents value and what superintendents prioritize.
When we focus our efforts on building relationships extensively, families see the impact of strong connections with educators, and schools benefit immensely.
Routines
Routines provide structure that helps children stay engaged without adopting the rigidity of the school day. It is about creating a structure where students can find comfort in the familiar, allowing them to build their skill set. Routines benefit parents as much as they benefit kids.
And when we say routines in summer, we don’t mean recreating the school day. It can be as simple as a school calendar that families can access on the school’s website, featuring summer activities and community events. Another idea is a take-home pack of games and prompts that helps families create small, daily learning moments. Simple, repeatable routines can anchor a child’s day while naturally building and maintaining their learning muscles. These bite-sized moments not only support learning but also create meaningful time for families to spend together.
Realistic support
Realistic support means meeting families where they are, not adding more complications or pressure to their daily lives. We do this by connecting families to existing community resources, like libraries and parks, and offering simple, practical ideas that are helpful without feeling like homework.
We also understand that most summer participation happens outside of school districts, so strategic partnerships are an essential part of NSLA’s approach and our families’ success. That could look like starting a summer resources page on your school website or sending home family-friendly materials to maintain easy learning opportunities throughout the summer months.
The goal is not to add to families’ mental load. Families need simple, enriching ways to have learning opportunities and relationship-building activities with their kids–reading books together, asking thought-provoking questions, encouraging scientific curiosity on a nature walk, and playing simple math games are all fun and easy ways to promote learning at home.
Building community partnerships and celebrating summer learning
Summer engagement thrives when schools embrace partnerships and recognize that they don’t have to, and shouldn’t, do this work alone. Creating a partnership map is one of the most practical steps schools can take to see successful engagement with their students. Identify existing groups and learn about their mission and goals for helping families.
Begin locally: libraries, faith-based organizations, YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs, community centers, and local nonprofits. These institutions are already serving the same students and provide trusted relationships with robust summer programming that would benefit school partnerships. Creating new programs isn’t necessarily the solution; it’s coordination with community partners that creates the synergy needed for successful summer engagement.
Communication is equally critical. Share summer opportunities before the school year ends using multiple channels: texts, social media, family nights, and report card pickup events. Some schools host community fairs where partners can join together, making it easy for families to connect with summer resources all in one place.
Furthermore, it is essential to celebrate summer learning at the start of the school year. Children are motivated by recognition. When we celebrate their summer learning–whether through sock hops, special t-shirt days, bulletin boards, or sparkly pencils–we send the powerful message to students that their summer learning counts, and we’ve noticed.
Summer is the launchpad for students
Summer learning succeeds when we reframe it as an extension of learning rather than an interruption, design programs that combine joy with intention, and build partnerships that expand access for every child. Families want summer programs, and superintendents value summer learning; the goal now is to align those priorities and provide deeper, more equitable access.
When programs are affordable, intentionally designed, and grounded in relationships, summer becomes a launchpad for students.
