“Summer of learning” programs likely to be popular this year

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.

Santa Barbara Unified School District parents will soon be invited to sign their children up for summer learning opportunities.

Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education Ana Escobedo calls it the "Summer of Learning."

She said invites will go out to parents in May.

"This is going to be a six-week program from June 14 through July 23. It’s going to be 6-weeks filled with learning and social emotional supports and enrichment and more than anything having our student back together in the community, " said Escobedo.

They will be incorporating COVID safety measures.

Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Shawn Carey said they will offer more than usual opportunities to shore up English and Math for students entering middle school and high school.

“For high school kids we want to make sure they have every opportunity to recover credit they may have lost, and of course the learning that goes with that," said Carey.

Lompoc Unified School District Deputy Superintendent Bree Valla announced a long list of learning opportunities for students on Wednesday.

"Lompoc Unified if excited to be able to offer a hands-on experiential summer learning opportunity for our students," said Valla.

She said educators are aware the pandemic has been difficult for students.

"To be able to offer them a camp-like experience during the summer to help re-coop some of the learning that has been lost is an opportunity that we are grateful to be able to provide for our families and those students."

In addition to credit recovery offerings, Lompoc Unified has community partners that will help the district run STEAM-based field trips to Camp Whittier and Cabrillo Aquarium. There are also Saturday coaching opportunities that will allow teens to help younger children in the community.

Educators have received feedback from students during distance. Most are craving more time together.

"We want to make sure we have as rich and deep of an in-person learning as we can pull off this summer after many months of not be able to be together, " said Carey.

She said she is not surprised to hear that some students are excited about summer school.

Dos Pueblo High Sophomore Awan Haj said, "I hope to obviously learn a little bit more because this year we had a block system, so we only got to learn a class one semester, instead of  whole year, and so I think over the summer doing a class, even though it is shorter, I'll still learn more."

Haj stopped by the Santa Barbara Unified District on Wednesday afternoon to upgrade her tablet.

Roxanna Gamboa brought her nephew to get his computer repaired.

She said, "Online school work can be difficult, a lot more than in classes, if they are behind, luckily my nephews are doing well."

She said summer options are great for students who need them.

Santa Barbara Unified School Board Member Laura Capps said, "This summer, the summer of 2021 summer school could not be more important than it is, we want to continue that interaction between students and teachers in person."

Capps said families thinking about summer school should talk to their child's teachers and principal.

"We want to continue the learning that needs to happen, continue the interaction and continue the fun."

For more information visit sbunified.org or lusd.org