Participants learn about science and literacy, and develop an appreciation for the environment.
For many low-income children in Connecticut, summer isn't a time filled with fun trips to the beach or chances to learn. This often leads to something called "summer slide," as they kids lose some of the gains they made while in school.
Two years ago, Stamford Public Schools partnered with SoundWaters to develop a summer camp that could address this problem.
The Summer STEM Academy was born. The program incorporates sailing, canoeing and beach exploration as a way to engage kids and keep their minds active, according to Leigh Shemitz, president of SoundWaters, a non-profit that works to educate people about the Long Island Sound.
"It's a lot of fun, it's a lot of challenge, and they become a very powerful and empowered group of kids who get very excited about their identity about learning, about science, about Long Island Sound,” Shemitz said.
In addition to learning about science and literacy, Shemitz said that participants also develop an appreciation for the environment.
"This program is about these students and their personal growth and their academic growth, but at the same time they're enjoying and learning about the sound and becoming future stewards,” she said. “So it's definitely paying it forward for them personally, but also for our community.”
Many of the participants have never been on a boat or been swimming, Shemitz added. The Summer STEM Academy shows them these new things, and also helps to mitigate the summer slide phenomenon, which is often cited as one of the major contributing factors that exacerbates Connecticut's achievement gap.
Diana Feliz recently graduated from Stamford High School and is now working with the kids for the summer program. She’s helped kids test water quality, identify animals along the shoreline and learn about wildlife in and around the sound.
During one experiment, the kids pick up crabs along the shore. Most of the kids scream as soon as they pick up the crabs, Feliz said.
“It’s really funny how they react to them and how they experience all the animals at first, because they get over their fears of animals, as I have before,” she said.
The kids also test different levels of water to determine how top water differs form deeper water.
Shemitz hopes to expand the program into other school districts, but not all Connecticut kids have access to summer programs along the shore.
The Connecticut Council on Education Reform recommends parents look for summer schools that balance learning with enrichment and fun, provide free meals, and are collaborative with other organizations.
