Take Summer Learning to the Next Level
Summer is a critical time to keep students engaged and create meaningful connections. It’s a time to build on what they learned over the school year and access exciting learning experiences they might not get anywhere else.
To help you plan your summer programs, we captured tips from Portland Public Schools which just received the 2024 New York Life Foundation, Excellence in Summer Learning Award for their Summer Acceleration Academy (SAA). The team that brought the program to life shared why summer is such an important time for them and how they made their program so successful.
Here's a quick breakdown of Portland’s Summer Acceleration Academy
- The program runs for 22 days
- 90 minutes of literacy instruction including small group time with reading specialists
- 60 minutes of hands-on math
- 60 minutes of specials like art, music, and sports
- 60 minutes of STEAM learning with LEGO® Education solutions
- In 2024 Portland had 2400 students enroll in the SAA with the majority coming from underserved communities.
Here's a quick breakdown of Portland’s Summer Acceleration Academy
- The program runs for 22 days
- 90 minutes of literacy instruction including small group time with reading specialists
- 60 minutes of hands-on math
- 60 minutes of specials like art, music, and sports
- 60 minutes of STEAM learning with LEGO® Education solutions
- In 2024 Portland had 2400 students enroll in the SAA with the majority coming from underserved communities.
Design your program with purpose
Portland’s program is by invitation only. “We invite any kindergarten to grade 5 student who is below grade level in reading. We've also learned to adjust our practices to improve access, so we invite siblings as well knowing that can remove a barrier to participation,” says Darcy Soto, Portland’s Director of Learning Acceleration. Soto acknowledges that while this approach allows for clear focus it still requires them to prepare for variety of abilities saying, “While all of the students are below grade level, there is a big difference between the 1st percentile and the 40th.”
Get hands-on to supercharge engagement
The team in Portland understands that active hands-on learning is the key to holding students’ attention and helping them retain understanding. Even math is hands-on at the SAA. But when it comes to engagement Soto says, “LEGO® Education is the driver. It’s what students are looking forward to, it’s what keeps them coming back. And, it’s not free-build time, we’re using the lessons plans, with real objectives and we’re aligned to standards.”
Additionally, LEGO Education complements Portland’s focus on access. The SAA serves a very specific population who most likely wouldn’t have access to these experiences outside of the program. “It all goes back to our desire to lift up our students with the greatest need, we want to provide them with these special opportunities,” says Soto.
Dig into the data
SAA attendees participate in pre and post literacy assessments and Darcy says it’s a critical element that they’re still fine-tuning, “Everything we do is focused around the audacious goal of every student leaving SAA with improved reading skills, so every decision we make has to support that.” The team also surveyed teachers on their experience specifically about using LEGO Education and the response was overwhelmingly positive.
How can you learn more about building award winning summer programs?
We’re glad you asked. The team at Portland was kind enough to partner with us in creating a summer program playbook. We’re excited to provide you with this awesome tool that also includes tips from our Education Impact team and access to resources to help you create the most impactful and engaging summer program imaginable.
Visit Summer Learning Programs | LEGO Education to download the playbook!
Explore the solutions Portland uses:
SPIKE™ Prime
SPIKE™ Essential